How to apply for a nonimmigrant visa
Please plan ahead. If you know you are going to travel to the U.S., you can apply weeks, or even months ahead.
We strongly encourage you to wait to purchase plane tickets until you have a valid visa. You do not need a ticket at the time of the interview.
Interviews for all non-immigrant visas are scheduled by appointment only. To apply for a non-immigrant visa and to schedule a visa appointment, you should follow the steps listed below:
Step 1: Obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) at any Raiffeisen Bank branch in Serbia or Montenegro Bank in Montenegro.
This PIN number will allow you to access our call center in Serbia for information and the scheduling of a visa appointment. It costs approximately $10 to be paid in either dinars (in Serbia) or euros (in Montenegro).
Step 2: Make a Phone Call
After obtaining the PIN number, wait 24 hours for the PIN to be activated. Then please call +(381-11) 3050-550. You may access the call center any working day between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friday.
The infoline provides you with information on the types of nonimmigrant
visas that are available and directs you to the correct category of visa
for your intended travel. This is the appropriate opportunity to ask any
questions you may have pertaining to visas necessary for your intended travel
to the US.
Additionally, you should schedule an appointment for a visa interview. Applicants
for a U.S. visa may schedule appointments for up to five members of their
nuclear family (spouse and children) using one PIN.
Click here to see the Current Wait Time for a Visa Interview.
Step 3: Download and/or fill out the appropriate forms online
Click on the following links to fill out the necessary forms online.
Electronic non-immigrant visa application form:
Supplemental Nonimmigrant visa application (males ages 16 to 45):
Contact Information and Work History for nonimmigrant visa application (all
student and exchange (F, M, J) visa applicants and their family members):
Step 4: Come to the Consular Section
Please come to your scheduled appointment at the appropriate consular section
with the documents described in "Basic documents and photos".
- All applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee of $131. The amount should be paid in Serbian Dinars to the Embassy's account at Raiffeisen Bank in Serbia, or (if more convenient) in Euros at the Montenegro Bank in Montenegro. The receipt will not be returned to applicant. Please note that it is not a fee for visa issuance. All applicants, regardless of citizenship, pay a non-refundable application fee.
Please note: Federal regulations now require that applicants for US visas
have their digital fingerscans collected and checked against a database of
known criminals and suspected terrorists. When the visitor arrives at the
port of entry, the same biometrics -- these digital "fingerscans" --
are used to verify that the person at the port is the same person who received
the visa. This type of identity verification helps U.S. Customs and Border
Protection Officers make better admissibility decisions and ensures the overall
integrity of the immigration system.
In most cases, the consular officer will make a decision on your eligibility
for a nonimmigrant visa at the time of the interview. In a few cases, you
may be requested to return with additional documents before a decision can
be made. In these rare cases, no appointment will be necessary for you to
gain access to the consular section and present the additional documents.
Visa Applicants who are interviewed at the US Embassy in Belgrade may spend
up to several hours to complete the entire process.
Step 5: Find Out About Your Visa Application
Once the consular officer has reached a decision on your visa application, one of the two following actions occurs:
A) You will qualify for a visa, and your visa should be ready the following business day at 4 pm (we cannot guarantee same-day visa issuance; occasionally, unexpected problems may cause visa printing to take longer; an Embassy employee will inform you if this is the case);
-OR-
B) You will not qualify, and you will receive a letter that explains the
reason for your ineligibility for a visa and your passport will be returned.
You may always re-apply for a visa at a later date. However, it is recommended
that ineligible applicants thoroughly reconsider their chances of obtaining
a visa as each application requires a non-refundable application fee.
Applicants should generally apply at the American Embassy or Consulate with
jurisdiction over their place of permanent residence. Although visa applicants
may apply at any U.S. consular office abroad, it may be more difficult to
qualify for the visa outside the country of permanent residence.
U.S. PORT OF ENTRY
Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the
United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has authority
to deny admission. Serbian citizens having trouble while
entering the USA have the right to request contact with the Embassy
of Serbia in Washington or the Consulate General of Serbia
in Chicago. The Embassy can be reached by telephone at (202) 332-0333 or
fax (202) 332-3933. The Consulate can be reached by telephone at (312) 670-6707
or fax (312) 670-6787. Citizens of Montenegro may wish to contact the Montenegro mission in Washington by telephone at (202) 234-6110, or (202) 234-6108, or fax (202) 234-6109.
Also, the period for which the bearer of a visitor visa is authorized to
remain in the United States is determined by the DHS, not the consular officer.
At the port of entry, a DHS official validates Form I-94, Record of Arrival-Departure,
which notes the length of stay permitted. Those visitors who wish to stay
beyond the time indicated on their Form I-94 must contact the DHS to request
Form I-539, Application to Extend Status. The decision to grant or deny a
request for extension of stay is made solely by the DHS.
Approved visas require one day for processing. Visa recipients can pick up their passport with visa at 16:00 the next business day after the day of their interview, unless otherwise notified.
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