You are on page 1of 4

Step 1: Payment of Application Fee Nonimmigrant visa applicants must pay the machine-readable visa application fee shown

on the schedules below. The fee is based on the purpose of the trip or visa category. Effective June 4, 2010, the fees are as follows: $140 - B1/B2, C1/D, F, J, and all other NIV categories not listed below (Visitor/Transit/Student) $150 - H, L, O, P, Q, and R (Temporary Worker) $350 - K (Fiance) $390 - E (Investor/Trader) To pay the fee, the applicant must have his or her passport number available. The applicants passport number will be tied to the MRV fee paid at the bank. The payment will be activated four hours after the time the cash payment was made; 24 hours for on-line payment. There are three ways to pay the MRV fee: 1.Pay in cash at any branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) 2.Pay through online bill payment option provided by BPI for their customers 3.Online payment through Bancnet The following individuals and visa classifications are exempt from paying the machine-readable visa application fee:

Diplomatic (A1, A2) Official (G1, G2, G3, G4) Personal Employees of A and G visa holders (A3, G5) NATO and NATO-7 Transit to and from the United Nations Headquarters District (C2) Transit of Foreign Government Officials and Immediate Family (C3) Applicants for J visas participating in official U.S. government-sponsored educational and
cultural exchanges

Replacement Machine-Readable Visa when the original visa was not properly affixed or needs
to be reissued through no fault of the applicant. A fee applies to only one visa classification/application. If an applicant wishes to apply for more than one visa simultaneously, corresponding payment per visa class must be made. Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. No exceptions will be made to this rule. It is valid for one year after the date of actual payment; the interview must fall within the oneyear validity.

Step 2: Required Documents All basic documentary requirements must be ready BEFORE an appointment can be made. Additional documents may be required, so please read the information below carefully. The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit does not accept documents BEFORE the interview except for Treaty Trader (E1) and Treaty Investor (E2) visa applications. Any documents received will not be returned and will be destroyed (except the passport). Basic Requirements: 1. DS-160 ONLINE NONIMMIGRANT VISA ELECTRONIC APPLICATION All applicants must complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application. Applicants can access the DS160 from the Consular Electronic Application Center website. In order to avoid delays in processing visa applications, visa applicants or their representatives must ensure that the following information is correctly provided: Applicants Complete Name (required format is Surname, First Name(s), Middle Name), Applicants Passport Information (the passport used in filling out the form must be the same passport presented on the day of the interview), Other Names (for married female applicants, type your complete maiden name), Purpose of Trip (if the answer falls under Other, specify the purpose of travel in the blank provided), Primary Occupation (if the answer falls under Other, specify the occupation in the blank provided), Contact Person and Contact Address in the United States, Fathers Complete Name, and Mothers Complete Maiden Name.

2. PASSPORT Signed passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of intended departure from the United States. The passport must be in good condition, i.e., photo lamination is undamaged, and all passport pages are intact. Applicants must also present all previously issued passports or notarized affidavits of loss, if applicable. Taiwanese passport holders who do not have Taiwan personal identification numbers listed above the date of birth on the biographic data page in their passports must present their original Philippine residency permit. 3. PHOTO One 2 x 2 standard, full-frontal face position color photo against a white background taken within the last six (6) months is required. Both ears must show in the photo. Please click here for additional information on photo specifications. 4. EXTENSION OF STAY/CHANGE OF STATUS Please bring copies of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approvals of extension of stay or change of status, if applicable.

5. PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP (if applying with/for dependent/s)


Original marriage certificate printed on Philippine National Statistics Office security paper, if
applicable (if applying with a spouse and/or child)

Original birth certificate printed on Philippine National Statistics Office security paper (for
dependent/s)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Additional requirements are based on the visa class that a person is applying for. Please look at the Types of Visas page and view the details for each visa class. Step 3 : Schedule an Interview Book an appointment by calling (02) 982-5555 and (02) 902-8930 for calls within the Philippines and other countries aside from mainland United States or (214) 571-1600 for calls from mainland United States. The call center is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, Manila time, except on U.S. and Philippine holidays. Appointments can also be booked online through http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph. Applicants who will book an interview online will be asked to create a unique password which will be used to access their appointment record and edit applicant information before their interview date. The call center and the online appointment website can also provide general information about visa application procedures. Step 4: Go for the Interview All applicants must appear at the Embassy for interview, except government officials traveling on official business and applying for A1, A2, G1, G2, or G4 visas. Applicants are requested to arrive at the Embassy gate one hour before the time listed on the appointment letter. Applicants must bring all the basic application requirements including the interview appointment letter, DS-160 confirmation page, valid passport, one 2 x 2 photo, and all prior passports and U.S. visas, if available. It is helpful to bring a governmentrecognized photo ID (in addition to the passport) to present upon entry.
Embassy personnel are available to provide assistance at each stage. Applicants who require interpreters must inform the interviewing officer on the day of their interview. There is no need to bring a relative or a friend to act as an interpreter as the Embassy can provide language assistance when an applicant requests for it.

Important note: American citizens and US Legal Permanent Residents are not allowed to accompany nonimmigrant visa applicants to the interviewing area. Step 5: If Issued a visa A consular officer will inform the applicant at the conclusion of the interview whether he/she qualifies for a U.S. visa. If a visa is approved, the passport with U.S. visa will be delivered by the courier service at the address provided when the made the appointment. If the applicant is not present at the time of the delivery of the passport, the applicant must leave an authorization letter to a representative and a government-recognized photo ID for both representative and applicant. Both the applicant and the representative must sign the authorization letter. For more information about visa processing, please visit the

You might also like