A: Nonimmigrant visas are for people who wish to go to the U.S. on a temporary basis for tourism, business, temporary work, study, or medical treatment. Immigrant visas are for those seeking permanent residence in the United States, based on certain categories of family relationship with U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents, or based on offers of employment.
- Q: I am traveling through the U.S. on the way to another country. Do I still need a visa?
A:Yes. You must apply for a B1/B2 tourist/business visa or a transit visa, even for a layover in a U.S. airport.
A: Serbian citizens with valid U.S. visas in an expired or cancelled Yugoslav passport may travel with their old Federal Republic of Yugoslavia passport and new Serbian passport together. Please note: the dates of validity of the U.S. visa in the old passport must be current and there should be no cancellation stamps or holes punched through the visa itself. The biodata information (name, date and place of birth, etc.) in both passports must match exactly. When traveling to the United States, you must show both your new Serbian passport and your valid U.S. visa (in your old passport) to airline officials and U.S. border inspectors.
If you wish to apply for a new U.S. visa to be placed in your new Serbian passport, you must bring your valid U.S. visa in your old Federal Republic of Yugoslavia passport with you to the visa interview so that the old visa may be cancelled by the Consul. Issuance of a new U.S. visa is not automatic. You must apply and qualify for a brand new visa, and bring all required documents to the visa interview. For instructions on applying for a new U.S. visa, please click how to apply.
A:Montenegrin citizens with valid U.S. visas in an expired or cancelled Yugoslav passport may travel with their old Federal Republic of Yugoslavia passport and new Montenegrin passport together. Please note: the dates of validity of the U.S. visa in the old passport must be current and there should be no cancellation stamps or holes punched through the visa itself. The biodata information (name, date and place of birth, etc.) in both passports must match exactly. When traveling to the United States, you must show both your new Montenegrin passport and your valid U.S. visa (in your old passport) to airline officials and U.S. border inspectors.
If you wish to apply for a new U.S. visa to be placed in your new Montenegrin passport, you must bring your valid U.S. visa in your old Federal Republic of Yugoslavia passport with you to the visa interview so that the old visa may be cancelled by the Consul. Issuance of a new U.S. visa is not automatic. You must apply and qualify for a brand new visa, and bring all required documents to the visa interview. For instructions on applying for a new U.S. visa, please click how to apply.
Obtaining a Nonimmigrant Visa
A: You will need to start by calling our call center at +(381-11) 3050-550. For more information, please see How to Apply.
A: All applicants age 14 and older and younger than 80 years of age must appear in person for the interview. Exceptions are applicants for A 1-2, NATO 1-6, and G 1-4 visas.
A: Please see the State Department's information on visa wait times, updated daily.
A: Please see our page on Emergency Travel.
A: It's never too early for someone to apply for a visa once he/she has planned to travel to the U.S. Only at the interview will the applicant know if he/she is qualified for a visa, and only then would they want to make any payments or purchase airline tickets.
A: No. You do not need to be invited to the U.S. to visit as a tourist. Many people bring invitation letters and affidavits of support to their nonimmigrant tourist/visitor's visa interviews, but these are not necessary. They will most likely have no positive or negative effect on the outcome of your interview.
A: Absolutely not. We encourage all applicants to wait until after their visa appointment to buy an airline ticket or make firm travel plans.
A: Please see our information on Basic Documents and Photographs. When you call the call center to make your appointment, you will also have time to ask our knowledgeable call center operators any outstanding questions you have about documentation.
In short, in addition to the official application forms you will need to fill out, you should bring evidence of strong social, economic and family ties to your country of residence, evidence of your intent to remain in the U.S. for a temporary period of time in accordance with your visa type and stated reason for travel, and evidence that you will not be compelled to work while in the U.S. unless specifically authorized by visa type.
A: Visa applicants under age 14 and over age 79 are not required to come in person for the visa interview. Another family member must be available at the interview time to bring in application materials and answer any remaining questions the consular officer may have. For more information, click here.
- Q: The bar code of my DS-156 bar-coded form looks broken or smeared. Should I print the form again?
A: Yes. We need a clear bar code. If your bar code is broken, we will not be able to process your application.
A: Your passport and visa will usually be ready the next business day at 4:00 PM in front of the embassy.
Please note that a small percentage of visa applications require additional special clearances or administrative processing. Most special clearances are resolved within 60-120 days of application and our office will call you as soon as they are resolved. When additional special clearance or administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.
A: Due to total processing time and necessary background checks, most visas take at least 24 hours to process and print, and are therefore ready the next business day at 4:00 PM. Occasionally, visas are ready the same day as the interview. You are welcome to come to the embassy the same day of your interview at 4:00 PM to check and see whether your visa was one of the few that were processed quickly by our system. However, we cannot make any assurances that a visa will be ready the same day.
A: There is no way to "guarantee for" or "sponsor" a nonimmigrant visa applicant. All applicants for nonimmigrant visas must qualify on their own by demonstrating evidence of strong social, economic and family ties to their home country. It is important to understand that a consular officer cannot issue a visa based upon the assurances of interested third parties in the U.S. or elsewhere.
A: In general, no. Everyone must have an appointment for an interview. U.S. citizens may enter the embassy and may wait in the waiting room with the applicant, however the visa interview explores the applicant's situation, so in general, we will ask the accompanying person to have a seat unless the officer has a question the applicant can't answer him/herself. Our staff speaks Serbian and certain other languages. In cases where the applicant cannot speak English or any local language, they may bring someone to interpret.
Nonimmigrant Visa Validity
A: Any traveler having a valid visa in an expired passport and having, as well, a new valid passport from the same country is welcome to enter the United States carrying both passports. Such travelers will be admitted, barring any other ineligibility, until the date of the visa's expiration. It is not necessary to obtain another visa in the new passport.
A: Visa validity varies for each class of visa. The important thing to know is that the expiration date indicated on the visa specifies the period of time within which the bearer must use the visa to enter the United States. However, please note: The length of stay in the United States is determined by the immigration official at the port of entry. For example, a visa issued with one year validity may be used to enter the United States within that one-year period but it does NOT entitle the bearer to remain in the United States for one year. That question must be resolved at the port of entry.
A: No. The visa validity is the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port of entry in the United States. The visa does not guarantee entry to the U.S. At the port of entry, a U.S. immigration officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decides whether to allow you to enter and determines your authorized length of stay. Only the U.S. immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter the United States.
The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in the U.S. for any given visit. For more information, click he\\\\\\\\\\\\\re.
A: A visa can be used until the date it expires to travel to the port of entry in the U.S. At the port of entry, a U.S. immigration officer will determine your authorized length of stay. Your visa does not need to be valid the entire time you are in the U.S. - only on the day you arrive at the port of entry. Your passport, however, must be valid for the entire length of your planned stay.
A: No, you cannot transfer the visa. You need to submit a completely new application, including payment of the application-processing fee. A copy of the police report for your lost/stolen passport must be presented on the day of the interview.
Nonimmigrant Visa Denials
A: Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of the United States (INA) states that consular officers must consider every visa applicant to be an intending immigrant, ineligible to receive a nonimmigrant visa, unless the applicant convinces the officer of his or her intent to return to a permanent residence in his or her home country following a temporary stay in the United States. Consular officers take a number of factors into account in making their determination of visa eligibility, including the prevailing local social and economic climate and recent immigration trends. Demonstrating visa eligibility is thus not simply a question of presenting a certain set of documents. A visa refusal under Section 214(b) is not permanent (there are more serious ineligibilities that are permanent, but the officer will inform you if this is your case). It is possible to apply again in order to present new or additional evidence, or if there are significant positive changes in one's situation. Additional evidence DOES NOT, however, guarantee that a refusal will be overcome.
A: Supporting documents are intended to SUPPORT information provided in the application or at the interview. The documents submitted in support of the information on the application form are reviewed before the applicant is called to the interview window. The interviewing officer will refer to the supporting documents when the information provided on the application forms and in response to the interview questions is in question. If the information provided is clear, there is often no need to turn again to the supporting documents. It is important to bring the documents to the interview and present them with the application to ensure the information on them is reviewed and taken into consideration.
A: No. The application processing fee is non-refundable.
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Q: I live in the United States and invited my relative/friend for a visit. That relative/friend applied for a nonimmigrant visa and was denied. I provided information about my citizenship, income, property, etc. Was this not sufficient?
A: All applicants for Nonimmigrant Visas must themselves qualify for a visa by demonstrating evidence of strong social, economic and family ties to their home country. It is important to understand that a consular officer cannot issue a visa based upon the assurances of interested third parties in the U.S. or elsewhere.
A: Unless there are dramatic changes in your socioeconomic situation, we recommend you wait before reapplying. However, we do not place restrictions - you are free to reapply at any time.
A: We discourage repeated applications from previously refused applicants unless they are able to demonstrate significant change in their social or economic situation. If you are refused a nonimmigrant visa, we recommend you wait until your situation changes or until you can bring substantial evidence of ties to your home country that you may not have brought to your previous interview(s). Otherwise, the outcome of your next interview will likely be the same as the previous interview.
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