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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
NONIMMIGRANT VISA
The application processTo travel to the United States for holiday or business, or for any other reason, you will need a valid short travel entry permit. If you do not have a passport from a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) eligible country, you may need to apply for a Short Travel Visa to the US Embassy in UK prior to travel.
NONIMMIGRANT VISA CATEGORIES
The chart below contains many different purposes of temporary travel and the related nonimmigrant visa categories. Here you can see the visa category you require.
| Purpose of Travel | Visa Category | Required : Before applying for visa* |
|---|---|---|
| Business visitor ,Athlete, amateur or professional (competing for prize money only) Domestic employee or nanny - must be accompanying a foreign national employer | B-1 | |
| Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitor, Medical treatment, | B-2 | |
| Au pair (exchange visitor) | J | SEVIS |
| Australian professional specialty | E-3 | DOL |
| Border Crossing Card: Mexico | BCC | |
| CNMI-only transitional worker | CW-1 | (USCIS) |
| Crewmember | D | |
| Diplomat or foreign government official | A | |
| Employee of a designated international organization or NATO | G1-G5, NATO | |
| Exchange visitor | J | SEVIS |
| Foreign military personnel stationed in the United States | A-2NATO1-6 | |
| Foreign national with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics | O | USCIS |
| Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional: Chile, Singapore | H-1B1 - Chile H-1B1 - Singapore | DOL |
| International cultural exchange visitor | Q | USCIS |
| Intra-company transferee | L | USCIS |
| Media, journalist | I | |
| NAFTA professional worker: Mexico, Canada | TN/TD | |
| Performing athlete, artist, entertainer | P | USCIS |
| Physician | J , H-1B | SEVIS |
| Professor, scholar, teacher (exchange visitor) | J | SEVIS |
| Religious worker | R | USCIS |
| Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly specialized knowledge | H-1B | DOL then USCIS |
| Student: academic, vocational | F, M | SEVIS |
| Temporary agricultural worker | H-2A | DOL then USCIS |
| Temporary worker performing other services or labor of a temporary or seasonal nature. | H-2B | DOL then USCIS |
| Training in a program not primarily for employment | H-3 | USCIS |
| Treaty trader/treaty investor | E | |
| Transiting the United States | C | |
| Victim of Criminal Activity | U | USCIS |
| Victim of Human Trafficking | T | USCIS |
| Nonimmigrant (V) Visa for Spouse and Children of a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) | V | |
| Renewals in the U.S. - A, G, and NATO Visas |
*What the abbreviations above mean :
Before applying for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, the following is required:
DOL = The U.S. employer must obtain foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, prior to filing a petition with USCIS.
USCIS = U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval of a petition or application (The required petition or application depends on the visa category you plan to apply for.)
SEVIS = Program approval entered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
B-1 & B-2 ARE MOST COMMON USED FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES
Business (B-1)
- Consult with business Associates
- Attend a scientific
- Educational
- Professional
- Business convention
- Conference
- Settle an estate
- Negotiate a contract
Tourism and Visit (B-2)
- Tourism vacation (holiday)
- Visit with friends or relatives
- Participation in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations
- Medical treatment
- Participation by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participating
- Enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree (for example, a two-day cooking class while on vacation)
HOW TO APPLY
1. Apply for your DOL, USCIS or SEVIS for approval if they apply for your chosen visa category above
2. Complete online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form DS-160
3. Email to us the application form DS-160, a copy of your passport and the petition approval if they apply to your chosen visa category
4. We will book the interview appointment at the closesr US embassy to you.
5. Visit the Embassy for your interview and finger prints
6. We collect your passport when your visa is ready and post it to you or inform you that is ready for collection
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO TAKE TO THE EMBASSY
VISA24 -
1. Valid Passport
It must be valid for at least the next 6 months when you apply for the visa, with at least two blank pages remaining. The passport should be in acceptable condition. If not there is a chance your application will be rejected.
2. Two passport photographs
The photos should be recent, good quality, identical and (50mm x 50mm) taken against a white background (the background must be white!). If you cannot get a photo yourself then we can print them for you from a digital file. Simply email us a clear photo of the applicant and we can process them for a £5 fee.
3. Copy of your petition
A copy of your approved DOL, USCIS or SEVIS petition, if you are applying for a visa category above that requires a petition.
4. Application form DS-160
Confirmation page of your DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form completed at Consular Electronic Application Center website less then a month ago.
5. Your appointment confirmation
Confirmation page of your appointment, (instruction page) Visa24 will email it to you, please read it through as may contain a list of any additional documents you may be required to provide depending on your visa type
6. Any additional documents
Additional requested documents may include evidence of the purpose of your trip, your intent to depart the United States after your trip, your ability to pay all costs of the trip.
ATTEND YOUR VISA INTERVIEW
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - NONIMMIGRANT VISA - PRICES
STANDARD
Consular fee £160 ($190)
Service fee £60
Vat £10
The fees are non-refundable. you are required to pay it before your interview
FAQ
- At the US embassy in London, the appointment waiting time is 7 working days
- And the visa processing time after your interview is 5 working days
- On some cases, if required, Visa24 can reschedule the appointment date to an earlier one if possible.
U.S. Embassy London
24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1K 6AH
United Kingdom
U.S. Consulate General in Belfast
Danesfort House
223, Stranmillis Road
Belfast BT9 5GR
U.S. Consulate General in Edinburgh
3 Regent Terrace
Edinburgh EH7 5BW
- No. If the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection Immigration Officer at the port-of-entry admitted you into the United States for a specific period of time, s/he will note your authorized period of stay on your admission stamp or paper Form I-94, called an Arrival/Departure Record. You will be able to remain in the United States during your authorized period of stay, even if your visa expires during the time you are in the United States. Since your admission stamp or paper Form I-94 documents your authorized stay and is the official record of your permission to be in the United States, it is very important to keep inside your passport.
- The fee that you paid is an application fee. Everyone who applies for a U.S. visa anywhere in the world must pay this fee, which covers the cost of processing your application. This fee is non-refundable regardless of whether you are issued a visa or not.
- A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the U.S. port-of-entry, and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection immigration inspector authorizes or denies admission to the United States.
- Access the DS-160 here, by clicking: Consular Electronic Application Centre website.
You should have the following documents available while you complete your DS-160 :
- Passport
- Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements.
- Dates of your last five visits or trips to the United States, if you have previously travelled to the United States. You may also be asked for your international travel history for the past five years.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae - You may be required to provide information about your current and previous education and work history.
- Other Information - Some applicants, depending on the intended purpose of travel, will be asked to provide additional information when completing the DS-160.
Some applicants will need to have additional information and documents handy while completing the DS-160 :
- Students and Exchange Visitors (F, J, and M): You will be asked to provide your SEVIS ID, which is printed on your I-20 or DS-2019, so you should have this form available when completing your DS-160. You also will be asked to provide the address of the school/program at which you intend to study. This information should also be on your I-20 or DS-2019 form.
- Petition-based Temporary Workers (H-1B, H-2, H-3, CW1, L, O, P, R, E2C): You should have a copy of your I-129 available when completing your DS-160.
Other Temporary Workers :
- You will be asked for information about your employer, including the employer’s address, while completing your DS-160.
- The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program that administers the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). It ensures that government agencies have essential data related to nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors to preserve national security. SEVP provides approval and oversight to schools authorized to enroll F and M nonimmigrant students and gives guidance to both schools and students about the requirements for maintaining their status.
- US embassy contacts us when your passport is ready for collection and we collect it on your behalf