Non-Immigrant Visas General Information
What is a Visa?
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What Types of Visas are There?
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What are the Hours of Operation?
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How do I Contact the Consulate?
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What the Security Procedures for Visitors?
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How Can I Apply for a Tourist Visa?
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What Are the Requirements for Children?
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How Can I Apply Through a Travel Agency?
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What Is the Visa Waiver Program?
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How to Do Business or Work in the U.S.?
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How do I apply for a L1-A or E visa?
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How to Study in the U.S. or Come on an Exchange Program?
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What Are the Requirements for Religious Visas?
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What Are the Requirements for Domestic Employees?
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What Are the Requirements for Diplomats?
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What Are the Requirements for Medical Cases?
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What Services Are Available for the ABC Islands?
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When Are the Next Appointments Available?
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Where Do I Go for More Information?
Revised: 04/28/05
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Non-immigrant visas allow the bearers to go to the United States for limited periods of time to do specific things. Examples are tourist visas, student visas, and temporary work visas. Immigrant visas allow people to become Legal Permanent Residents of the United States, and live there indefinitely. These are usually the result of a petition from a relative in the U.S., and can be very quick, or take years, depending on the relationship between the U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or employer petitioning, and the foreigner for whom the visa is being petitioned.
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Hours of Operation
Holiday and Consulate Training Calendar
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- If you are over 80, under 14, or are renewing a tourist visa that has
expired within the last year, you can use a travel agency or through Domesa’s
program
to process your visa application, and will not need a personal interview. Please
see the section
on travel agencies or Domesa’s Program
for more information http://caracas.usembassy.gov/wwwh262.html#travelagencies
- If you do not meet the requirements of the preceding paragraph
or do not wish to use a travel agency, you must contact the Visa Appointment
and Information Service to schedule an appointment. This service can also provide
information on the general and specific requirements an applicant must fulfill
to apply for a visa. The phone number for the Visa Appointment and Information
Service in Venezuela is 0-800-847-3388 and in the United States is toll-free
at 1-877-274-6682. Callers have to options to access this Service: they can
pre-pay to use this service at Banco Pronvicial or use their credit cards.
- Callers from both the United States and Venezuela can also use their Visa or MasterCard credits cards (if valid for charges in the United States or registered in CADIVI) to access the call center. To receive visa information and to schedule interview appointments at the Embassy, visa applicants calling from the United States must make a Visa Information Service payment charged to either a Visa or MasterCard for 20 US dollars. Callers within Venezuela can use Visa o MasterCard credit card to access the Call Center for $23 USD. Because the U.S. Embassy using an international service to make appointments in Latin America, charges for this purpose from callers from Venezuela will appear on clients' monthly statements converted to the U.S. dollar equivalent in Mexican pesos. Once the credit card is validated, the applicant will have access to the service to receive information and to make an appointment.
The caller is able to speak with a Spanish or English speaking operator who answers questions and is able to schedule an interview appointment, if required. The service is available to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday - Friday.
- In order to apply for a Non-Immigrant visa all applicants will have
to go to their local Banco Provincial office and pay the $131 consular application
fee. You must have your application form with you when you go to the bank.
The DS-156 must be filled out on-line on our visa application forms page. Your
receipt of payment for the $131 application fee will be printed directly on
your DS-156 application form. You must submit this form with your application
as proof of payment of the fee. Small corrections can be made to the form after
your payment as long as the information is legible
- Arrive at the Embassy 30 minutes before the time of your appointment to allow time for processing. You will not be allowed to bring electronic devices (including cell phones) into the embassy, or any type of weapon. If you are unable to be present at your appointment for any reason (Including reasons out of your control such as demonstrations, marches, etc.), you must call the automated system to obtain a new appointment date. If you have no time remaining from the fifteen minutes granted, you must pay the fee again and make a new appointment. When you pay, you will be assigned a code that will be requested when you call the information center.
- For your visa interview you will need to bring:
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A valid passport in good condition. For information on visa applications with
a Venezuelan passport please see: http://caracas.usembassy.gov/wwwh2415.html.
If your passport does not meet these requirements you will need to get a new one before your interview.
Important! The United States Government no longer recognizes the temporary Venezuelan passport, consisting of one sheet of paper, as a legitimate travel document. Neither does it accept Venezuelan passports that have been expired for more than 5 years, and then renewed. If you have such a passport, you will need to obtain a new book passport before applying for a visa. (Those people who have valid visas in such documents can still travel with them, as long as they also have a new valid Venezuelan book passport.)
- All your previous passports.
- All F1, J1 or M1 visa applicants must appear for a personal interview, regardless
of age.
- If you are soliciting a visa for your child, you must include both parents' passports with their valid visas.
- The DS-156 form, which can be downloaded from this site or filled out on-line. This form must be completely filled out. There can be no unanswered questions! If a question does not apply, put down n/a (not applicable).
The DS-156 form must include a photo of the applicant's head, on a white background, and with the applicant looking forward.
- Males 16-45 years old must fill out the DS-157 form, which can also be downloaded from this site, and must also be completely filled out.
- Bring whatever documentation you think will help to prove to the officer your ties to Venezuela. Family ties, property, job, savings, previous travel all serve this purpose. The falsification or alteration of any of these documents may be considered fraud, and may result in the denial of the visa, possibly permanently.
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Special requirements for minors (anyone under the age of 18):
To qualify for a Non-Immigrant visa (B1/B2), an applicant must demonstrate their
ties to their country. Children establish their ties to their host country
through their parents, or legal guardian.
For all minors (anyone under the age of 18), applicants should present passports for both parents, if the parents have passports. If one parent will not be present at the interview and does not have a passport with a U.S. visa, applicants should supply the written approval of the parent that is not present, with a copy of one ID document. If one or both of the parents has a valid visa, the original passport must be shown at the interview.
If one parent has custody only that parent needs to be present to give consent, and/or present their passport with a U.S. visa, or a written consent with an ID. The parent must show legal court documents that he/she has sole custody or the death certificate if the other parent is deceased. If legal guardian is anyone else (i.e. grandparent) he/she must be present to give consent, and/or present their passport with a U.S. visa, or a written consent with an ID as well as proof of sole legal guardianship. Minors that have a legal guardian must present the legal Guardianship and Custody document for the legal guardian or the parent with custody.
If you meet certain requirements, you may be able to apply for your tourist
visa through a travel agency or Domesa. This option applies to first time
applicants over 79 years old, or under 14. It also applies to those people
who have had a visa good for two years or longer, which has expired within
the last year and who are applying for a visa of the same classification.
If you qualify, you will not need an interview, but you will need to come
to the embassy to have your fingerprints taken if you are between the ages
of 14-79. If you qualify, you must still pay the $131 fee at the Banco Provincial,
and you must still fill in all the necessary forms, and provide documentary
evidence of your ties to Venezuela. For more information.
This is the list of Travel Agencies authorized to accept visa applications:
- Geo/Metropolitana (952-3050) www.geometropolitana.com
- Galpez (793-9237/9609)
- D.H.M. (265-5071/9502) www.DHMCA.com
- A.V.A.V.Y.T. (264-5260 or 264-2356)
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Visa Waiver Travel- Passport Guidelines
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Holders of non-immigrant visas, and United States citizens planning temporary stays in the United States, are eligible to be accompanied by personal employees during their visit to the United States, subject to certain conditions, including the personal employee's ability to show strong ties to their residence abroad that they do not wish to abandon. Please read the requirements outlined below.
1. Contract Requirements for All Domestic Employees
All contracts, regardless of the visa class of the employer or the intended length of stay, must contain the following stipulations:
- A guarantee the employee will be compensated at the U.S. State or Federal minimum or prevailing wage for an eight hour day, whichever is greater; and
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Overtime pay of 1.5 times the hourly rate for any work in excess of 40 hours during a given week; and
- A promise by the employee to not accept any other employment while working for the employer; and
- A promise by the employer to not withhold the passport of the employee; and
- A statement indicating that both parties understand that the employee cannot be required to remain on the premises outside of working hours without compensation; and
- A guarantee of free room and board, round trip airfare, and any other benefits normally required for U.S. domestic workers in the area of employment (e.g., overtime, social security, etc); and
- At least two weeks notice of the employer's intent to terminate the employment. The employee must have in his/her possession an original contract or a copy of the contract, to be presented at the port of entry, showing original signatures of both the employer and the employee.
2. Requirements for each Employer Category
In addition to the contract requirements listed above, certain additional documents or representations are required for issuance of a visa to a domestic employee of the following visa holders:
Personal Employees of Persons assigned to International Organizations or Bilateral Missions (A, G):
- A "note verbale" from the principal's IO or mission confirming the employment status of the principal and requesting issuance of the visa; and
- An employment contract certified or endorsed by the employer's mission or organization.
Personal Employees of Non-immigrants (B, H, L, F or J visas holders) other than Diplomats: In addition to the above:
- The employee has a residence abroad which he or she has no intention of abandoning; and
- The employee can demonstrate at least one year's experience as a personal or domestic servant; and
- The employee has been employed outside the United States by the employer as a personal or domestic servant, for at least one year prior to the date of the employer's admission to the United States; or if the employee-employer relationship existed immediately prior to the time of visa application, the employer can demonstrate that he or she regularly employed personal or domestic servants over a period of several years preceding the visa application.
Personal Employees of U.S. citizens temporarily assigned to the U.S.
U.S. citizens may bring back employees to the U.S. if the following conditions are met:
- The U.S. employer normally works abroad; and
- The U.S. employer is returning to the U.S. for no more than 4 years, and
- The employee has been employed abroad by the employer as a personal employee for at least six months prior to the date of admission to the United States or, in the alternative, the employer has, while abroad, regularly employed a personal employee in the same capacity as that intended for the applicant; and
- The employee can demonstrate at least one year experience as a personal employee by producing statements from previous employers attesting to such experience.
Required Documents for All Applicants
Each application must be accompanied by:
- An application form (DS-156 and DS-157) completed and signed
- One color photograph 2" x 2" against a white background attached to the DS-156 where specified. Receipt for payment of visa application fee (except for A3 and G5 applicants);
- A valid passport; and
- An original copy of the employment contract.
- Employers must also submit proof of ability to pay the employee's wages while in the United States.
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Applicants can only use the diplomatic window if they have a diplomatic, official,
service passport or regular passports traveling to the United States on official
business and members of the Venezuelan National Assembly. Applicants traveling
with a diplomatic passport requesting a tourist visa are exempted from the
visa fee. However applicants traveling on their service or regular passports
requesting a tourist visa must pay the visa fee. They must have a diplomatic
note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a diplomatic mission based in
Caracas' consular district. All applicants must have the DS-156, and DS-157
if applicable (males 16-45), completed, with no blank spaces, and one 2 by
2 inches (5 x 5 cm) in size photograph and showing a full, front-face view
against a white background, in order to be considered for visa approval. We
remind applicants using the diplomatic window that it will remain closed during
holidays and consular staff training days and that regular processing will
take three business days
from the time of application. The diplomatic window will be open from 2:00
PM to 3:00 PM.
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If you live in the Dutch Antilles, you fall within the consular district of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. You will have to pay the $131 application fee, in dollars or bolivares. No other currency is accepted, and credit cards are not accepted. Checks must be Cashier's checks, and made out to "U.S. Disbursement Officer".
The Visa Information Service can now be accessed from Aruba, Bonaire and Curazao through a U.S. telephone number. In order to access this service, the applicant must use a Visa or MasterCard. The new telephone number is: 001-303-784-7919. Callers are able to speak with an English or Spanish speaking operator who will answer questions and is able to schedule an interview appointment, if required. The service is available to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday - Friday, Venezuela local time.
Callers are able to access information on both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas to the US and all the requirements in order to apply for a visa. Due to recent changes in U.S. government requirements regarding fingerprinting, many applicants who did not need to appear in person to be interviewed previously will now have to appear personally at the Embassy. In an effort to accommodate these additional interviews, most applicants from Aruba, Bonaire and Curazao will now be required to schedule an appointment for a visa interview. The Visa Information Service will help applicants determine whether they must apply in person, and if so will assist the applicant in scheduling a non-immigrant visa interview appointment. All non-immigrant visa interviews are scheduled through this service.
To receive visa information and to schedule interview appointments at the Embassy, visa applicants calling from Aruba, Bonaire or Curazao must make a Visa Information Service payment charged to either a Visa or MasterCard for 19 US dollars. Once the credit card transaction is approved, the applicant will have access to the service to receive information and to make an appointment. The information includes all of the general and specific requirements an applicant must fulfill to apply for visa. Application documents and procedures are also explained in detail. Up to 5 immediate family members may schedule an appointment during one telephone call. Immediate family members include husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter, sister, and brother who reside in the same house.
Starting December 1st all applicants should call the Visa Information Service for complete and accurate information and to confirm whether or not they need to an appointment to apply for a visa in person. As of January 3, 2005 any applicant from Aruba, Bonaire or Curazao who appears at the Embassy in Caracas, without an appointment, will be turned away.
With the exception of minors 13 years of age or younger, and applicants 80 years of age or older, every applicant must appear in person at the U.S. Embassy for fingerprinting. Fingerprint results can take up to 24 hours to be returned. Therefore, the Consular Section can no longer guarantee urgent delivery of passports (same day). If you are from an area that does not receive delivery from Domesa, including the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curazao, you should be prepared to stay in Caracas until 3 p.m. the following day.
The US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, is pleased to announce the new service to better meet the needs of all visa applicants in Aruba, Bonaire, Curazao and Venezuela. The Embassy strongly urges all individuals to apply for their visa three months in advance of planned travel.
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As of September 28, 2007:
- The next available appointment date for a Non-Immigrant visa interview
is March 13, 2008.
Because of clearance and security measures
required to process the non-immigrant visa, expect the processing time to
issue a non-immigrant visa will take no less than 3 workdays.This
does not include delivery time.
Appointment availability changes often. Appointments may not be available on the dates shown as you read this because appointment booking are made continuously through the Call Center.
Medical/bereavement emergency early appointments. Available only for medical/bereavement
emergencies involving the applicant, a parent, spouse or child. Give the NIV
Call Center operator the reason for the medical/bereavement emergency request.
Other early appointment requests. Applicants requesting earlier appointments must first book the next available
appointment then e-mail their request to the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit at consularcaracas@state.gov
Each request for an earlier appointment must include the date and time of the
booked appointment, a very brief explanation of the reason for the request
and a scanned document that proves the reason for the request. Because of volume
we are unable to acknowledge individual requests. To confirm our receipt of
your request, please set your e-mail to request delivery receipt. Please do
not fax, call, or send follow-up inquiries as that will only hamper our ability
to respond. Approved requests will be wait-listed based upon urgency reason
for the request. Applicants will be contacted if an appointment becomes available.
If you do not hear from us it means we are unable to honor your request.
If you are a student and are unable to make an appointment before the start of your classes please contact the Consular Section by fax at (58-0212) 975-8971 or at consularcaracas@state.gov
If you are under 16, over 60 or renewing a visa which has expired in the last
year, and which was valid for more than two years, you may apply through a Travel
Agency or DOMESA.
If you have a medical or bereavement emergency, special early appointments are available through the normal visa appointment process.
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The phone number is 0-800-847-3388.
You can also log on the Department of State's web site for more information http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/index.html.
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