Only Canadian citizens and those entering the U.S. as a visitor under the Visa Waiver Program are exempt from the Visa requirement.

There are two options for obtaining a Nonimmigrant Visa. First, applicants may apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate outside the United States (discussed below). Second, in some cases applicants may apply for a visa as a Third Country National at a U.S. consulate in Canada or in Mexico.  Please see discussion here for more information.  Virtually all visa applicants must schedule an appointment in advance to apply for a U.S. visa.

Appointments may not be available on short notice so some applicants will need to reserve an appointment weeks or even months in advance.  Information on how long it will take to receive an appointment can be found at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html. 

The process for obtaining a Nonimmigrant Visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad varies depending on the type of visa classification you are requesting and the Consulate at which you are applying. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) maintains a valuable website at www.travel.state.gov and has links to the websites of all U.S. consulates and embassies around the world at http://usembassy.gov/. Visa applicants should always visit the official website of the U.S. consulate where they will apply for their U.S. visa for information on how to schedule a visa appointment, pay the visa application fees, and learn about the U.S. consulate’s local procedures and requirements.

There are some common features to applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa at a U.S. consulate. The application form for all Nonimmigrant Visas is the DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application.  The DS-160 is web-enabled application that must be completed on the web.  The DS-160 is available only on-line at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/.  In addition to DS-160 application, the fee for a Nonimmigrant Visa typically ranges from $160 (U.S.) to $190 (U.S.). This fee must be paid by each applicant separately, including for each family member applying for a visa, regardless of age.

Depending on one’s nationality and the type of visa requested, applicants may be required to pay a reciprocity fee. The reciprocity fee is a visa issuance fee that is separate from the visa application fee mentioned above. The Department of State website includes a current schedule of reciprocity fees, if any, for every country. Please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html

Please see our checklist of documents we recommend visa applicants have in their possession when applying for H1 (or H-4) visas or for L1 (or L2) visas.