Welcome to the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit Homepage!

Thank you for your interest in traveling to the United States.  We hope that this website makes it easier for you to select and apply for the proper nonimmigrant visa.

The type of nonimmigrant visa you will need and the requirements to apply for that visa depend largely on your purpose of travel to the United States.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Notice to Manning Agencies About Agency Accreditation
• Personal Appearance Requirement for Employers of B1 Domestic Visa Applicants
•  NIV Case Status Check Using Your CEAC Barcode Number
• Printed Payment Slips Required To Pay Visa Application Fees
• New U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fees
• Important Rescheduling Procedures For NIV Applicants
• Call Center Hours and Contact Information
• DS-160 Online Visa Application Form 
• Legal Rights for Workers in the United States 
• Electronic Devices Not Permitted on Embassy Grounds  
• Average Visa Processing Time and Delivery 

Beginning September 3, 2012, nonimmigrant visa applicants are required to present a U.S. visa application payment slip to pay the machine-readable visa (MRV) application fee.  Before going to the bank, applicants must print the applicable U.S. visa application payment slip and take it to the bank to pay the fee.

There is an expiration date on the payment slip.  Bank agents will NOT accept payments based on expired slips.  Each slip has a unique receipt number.  Applicants will not be able to schedule an appointment without the receipt number.  If paying for more than one applicant, the payment slip cannot be reproduced nor used for lump sum payment.

For complete instructions and to print the payment slip, please visit our online appointment website.  To obtain more information about this requirement, please call the Embassy Call Center at 982-5555 and 902-8930, available from Monday to Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Last update: October 1, 2012  

On April 13, 2012, the U.S. Department of State implemented new Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees to ensure sufficient resources to meet the cost of processing nonimmigrant visas.  The U.S. Embassy in Manila is now collecting the new fees for appointments made for April 13, 2012, or later.   There is a 90-day grace period during which applicants who paid at the former, lower rate will not need to pay the additional (differential) fee.

If you are an applicant who paid at the old rate and booked an appointment on or after July 13, 2012, you must pay the differential fee corresponding to your visa class (an additional $20 or $40; see chart above) before your interview.

Applicants must pay the difference in fees at the U.S. Embassy cashier on the day of their scheduled interview. Applicants will need to present both MRV fee receipts from Bank of the Philippine Islands (payment of lower fee) and the Embassy cashier (payment of incremental fee) before proceeding to the pre-screening of applications. Instructions on how and where to pay the incremental fee will be available once inside the Embassy premises. Applications will not be processed unless the full MRV fee has been paid.  

For nonimmigrant Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor visa applicants, no refunds will be available if paid prior to the effective date of the new fees. All fees are valid for the usual one calendar year from the date of payment.  

Please be reminded that even though nonimmigrant visa fees are valid for one calendar year, options to schedule an appointment are limited.  The U.S. Embassy in Manila schedules hundreds of thousands of nonimmigrant visa appointments each year, and we must accommodate requests both for new appointments and for those applicants who need to reschedule their appointments for whatever reason.  Applicants are only allowed to reschedule twice (not including the initial appointment) without penalty.  If the second rescheduling attempt is canceled, an applicant will only be allowed to reschedule a new date after a waiting period of 90 days.  Please plan your visa application accordingly to avoid problems securing an interview appointment.

 Last update: March 12, 2012

The Embassy’s call center numbers for information and appointment scheduling are: (02) 902-8930 and (02) 982-5555.  For calls from the continental United States, dial (214) 571-1600.  The call center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Manila time, Monday through Friday. 

Appointments can also be scheduled online at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph.

 All nonimmigrant visa applicants are required to complete and submit an online visa application form known as the DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application. The DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application has replaced nonimmigrant visa paper application forms DS-156/157/158, and other related paper forms.

 Applicants can access the DS-160 from the Consular Electronic Application Center website or from the link on the U.S. Embassy website in Manila.

 In order to avoid delays in processing visa applications, visa applicants or their representatives must ensure that the following information is correctly provided:  

·   Applicant’s complete name (required format is Surname, First name(s), Middle Name(s))  

·   Applicant’s passport information (the passport used in filling out the form must be the same passport presented on the day of interview)  

·   Other Name(s) (for married female applicants, type your complete maiden name)  

·   Purpose of Trip to the U.S. (if the answer falls under “Other,” it is a requirement to specify the purpose of travel in the blank provided)

·   Primary Occupation (if the answer falls under “Other,” it is a requirement to specify the occupation in the blank provided)  

·   Contact Person and Contact Address in the United States  

·   Father’s Complete Name (required format is Surname, First name(s), Middle Name(s))  

·   Mother’s Complete Maiden Name (required format is Surname, First name(s), Middle Name(s))

 Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for instructions about the DS-160.  

The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (WWTVPA) came into effect in December 2008.  The Act requires that an individual applying for an A-3, G-5, B1 domestic employee, J1, or certain H1B and H2B visas is made aware of his or her legal rights under federal immigration, labor, and employment laws. This includes information on the illegality of slavery, peonage, trafficking in persons, sexual assault, extortion, blackmail, and worker exploitation in the United States. Please read this pamphlet prior to your visa interview. You will be asked if you have received, read, and understood its contents.

For inquiries related to this matter, please e-mail us at ConsManilaNIV@state.gov.

 For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, visa applicants are NOT PERMITTED to bring any kind of electronic and battery-operated devices (cellular phone, digital camera, laptop, music player, portable game consoles such as PSP, etc.) into the U.S. Embassy. Applicants who bring such devices will be denied entry.

 Please make arrangements to leave your electronic equipment in a safe location off Embassy grounds BEFORE your interview appointment. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.

 After the one-week visa processing, the receipt of a passport with a visa may take longer, depending on the applicant’s delivery address.

 * – Average Visa Processing Time: This means the number of working days it takes for an approved applicant to receive his/her passport back from the Embassy with the U.S. Visa at the address given to the courier company.

 All applicants should be aware that the one week processing time is an AVERAGE, and that the processing time of a specific case can vary due to individual circumstances and other special requirements.