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Temporary Visitors to the US - Visa Wait Times
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php
Nonimmigrant
Visa Application
Every
applicant for a nonimmigrant visa must present a fully
completed electronic visa application form(DS-156). You must answer every
question on the application in order to be admitted for
your
visa interview.
Electronic Application forms (DS-156, DS-157, DS-158) are available
free of charge at this web site..
For more information and all related visa forms you can
go to:
http://evisaforms.state.gov
The application must be filled out online. When filling out the online application make sure to print it out and bring all three pages to the interview.
| Forms |
Version |
Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF)
DS-156 |
 English |
Español |
Supplemental form for male applicants*
DS-157 |
 English |
Español |
| Supplemental form for students or exchange visitors
(F, J o M) DS-158 |
English |
Español |
In addition, all male nonimmigrant visa applicants between
the ages of 16 and 45 must fully complete a supplementary
biographic form (form DS-157).
Individuals applying for F, M or J status are now required
to complete the Form DS-158 ("Contact Information
and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant"),
as part of the visa application.
Nationals of some countries do not need visas to visit
the U.S. for less than 90 days.
Click here to see which
countries qualify.
Interviews for Nonimmigrant Visas
Nonimmigrant visa applicants (tourist, transit, student,
temporary work visas- such as H1B, J1, L-) must pay
the nonrefundable visa application fee of US $131 in
advance
at any main branch of Banco Cuscatlán (not at
mini-banks).
To
schedule an appointment, the applicant must call our
regional U. S. Visa Information Center
by buying a special Telefónica calling card
- VISAS USA - that is available at any
branch of Telefónica in El Salvador.
Or call 900-6011 as an alternative
to access the official Visa Information Center (VIC)
and to schedule immigrant or nonimmigrant visa interview
appointments. The call has a cost of USD$1.87 per minute
plus IVA, and will be included in the caller’s
phone bill. Callers to the 900 number are charged by
the minute. NOTE: The number is not accessible from public
phones, cellular phones and some businesses that have
900 numbers
blocked.
Visa applicants do not need a calling card to use the
new 900 number service.
The customer service representative will
require from the applicant information such as the
passport number and the name as it appears on the
applicant's
passport.
If the applicant has an urgent need to travel,
the applicant should request an expedited appointment.
See below for our special requirements for
temporary work visa applicants.
Children under age of eighteen must be accompanied by
both biological parents at the interview for their child's
visa. The only exceptions would be death, divorce, birth
certificate showing father unknown or legal custody due
to other circumstances (e.g. adoption). In each exception,
a legal document would be required to show cause for the
other parent's absence. In the case of remarriage, the
child's mother/father must appear with the current spouse
(child's stepparent). The parents will also be required
to submit original birth certificates of the children.
| Please note that applicants must bring: |
| 1. A valid passport, completed electronic application forms
(DS-156 EVAF for all nonimmigrant visa applications regardless
of the type of visa, DS-157 for males between 16-45,
and DS-158 for student applicants), |
| 2. one photograph (click
here to know about the photo requirement) |
| 3. $131 application payment receipt to be admitted to the Embassy. |
A student visa applicant must bring the I-20 issued by
the educational institution.
We collect electronic fingerprints of all applicants,
aged 14 through 79. Click here for more information.
The applicant will be interviewed by a bilingual American
Consular Official. The short interview will clarify and
add to the information on the visa application, so the
application should be completed carefully.
Documents which may be requested during the interview
to support claims on the application include but it is
not limited to job letters, birth and marriage certificates,
other family members' visaed passports, bank documents,
tax documents (Declaración de Renta y de IVA) and
titles to property such as cars or houses. This is not
an exclusive list to guarantee that the visa will be approved.
Delivery of Visas via Courier
Except in emergency circumstances, all issued nonimmigrant
visas are returned to applicants only via the Courier
service.
We have arranged for a Courier counter just
outside the Consular waiting room. Successful nonimmigrant
visa applicants must stop at the Courier counter
to arrange for the return of their passports with visas.
This service has a cost of $5-$12 and has to be paid right after the applicant’s interview.
Passports
are normally delivered to the applicant's home or office,
or a local Courier branch.
Visa Denials
Most visa denials are made under section 214b of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (INA) because the applicant has not
convinced the interviewing officer that he or she has sufficiently
strong ties to El Salvador to compel their return after
a limited visit.
Refusals under section 214b INA are not
permanent. Applicants may reapply whenever they believe
their circumstances have changed sufficiently, or if
they have new evidence to present. People refused under
section
214b INA who wish to reapply must pay the nonrefundable
visa application fee. Some cases are refused under section 221g INA and requested
to return with additional information to assist in the
adjudication. Persons refused under section 221g INA will
be given a form letter explaining what additional information
is needed and when to reappear before the consular officer.
These applicants do not have to pay another application
fee.
Click here to learn more about visa denials.
Students
(F and M) Visas
Student visa applicants must present evidence of their acceptance into an approved educational institution at the time of their interview. Evidence of acceptance includes a valid I-20AB (F visa) or I-20MN (M visa) form and registration in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Student visa applicants should also bring documentation that demonstrates that they have a residence in El Salvador which they will return to after their stay in the U.S., as well as proof of sufficient funds to cover their educational and living expenses. Click here to learn
more about Student Visas.
SEVIS Fee: Student visa applicants are required to pay a $100 SEVIS fee. This fee is in addition to the $131 general application fee, and may be paid online at www.fmjfee.com or by using Western Union’s Quick Pay service. Click here to learn more
information
about this fee.
Student visa applicants are encouraged to apply early for their visa to ensure that they will have ample time to receive the visa and travel to the U.S. before their classes begin. The application process may take up to one month in some cases. Student visas can be issued up to 120 days before the start of the program, and students may enter the U.S. up to 45 days in advance of their studies.
If a student visa applicant needs to travel before the next available interview date in order to reach the U.S. before the start of classes, they may request an expedited appointment by calling the Visa Information Center and explaining their need for urgent travel.
All student visa applicants must fill out the electronic form DS-156 and DS-158, in either English or Spanish. In addition, all male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 must complete a supplementary biographic form (form DS-157). To access these forms and general information about applying for a non-immigrant visa, please go to the top of this page.
Exchange Visitors (J)
Visas
All applicants for a J visa must present evidence of
their acceptance into an approved exchange visitor program
at the time of their interview. Evidence of acceptance
includes a valid DS-2019 form sent to the applicant by
the US sponsor and registration in the Student and Exchange
Visitor Information System (SEVIS), also all J visa trainee or intern applicants with DS-2019 forms dated on or after July 19, 2007 must also present a DS-7002. J visa applicants
may also be asked to supply documentation which verifies
their qualifications for their program and establishes
that they possess a residence abroad to which they will
return following their visit to the US. Click
here for more information about exchange visas
SEVIS Fee: Most J visa applicants
with DS-2019s issued after September 1, 2004 will be
subject to a $100 fee. This fee will be used to administer
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Click
here for more information about this fee
J visa applicants are encouraged to apply early for
their visa to ensure that they will have ample time to
receive the visa and travel to the US before their program
begins. The application process may take up to one month
in some cases. J visas can be issued up to 90 days before
the start of the exchange program. If a J visa applicant
has to travel before the next available interview time
in order to reach the US before the start of their exchange
program, please see the section on emergency travel below.
For general information about applying for Nonimmigrant
Visas here in El Salvador, please go to the top of this
page.
New SEVIS Fee
For more information, please see www.dhs.gov,
and www.ice.gov/graphics/news/factsheets/SEVISFactSheet.htm
F, M, and most J visa applicants with I-20s or DS-2019s
issued after September 1, 2004, will be charged a fee
of $100 to be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS). J visa applicants in US government-sponsored
programs (program numbers beginning with G-1, G-2, or
G-3) are exempt from this fee. Derivative visa applicants
(F-2, M-2, or J-2) also do not have to pay this fee.
The SEVIS fee can be paid by credit card at the following
web page: www.FMJfee.com.
It can also be paid locally via the use of the Western
Union Quick Pay service. Samples of the Western Union
Quick Pay form can be seen on the Student and Exchange
Visitor Program website at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm
The SEVIS fee must be paid before a visa can be issued.
Consular officers will verify that the fee has been paid,
but cannot accept payment themselves. Please bring your
SEVIS pay receipt to the interview.
Business Travelers:
If you are interested in traveling to the United States on business, please visit the following link.
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_2664.html
For Emergency Business Travel from El Salvador, click here
Emergency
Travel:
If you have urgent need to travel for an emergency (such as life and death medical treatment or death of immediate family member), if you are a business traveler in need of an expedited appointment, or if you are applying for a student (F-1, M-1) or (J-1) exchange visitor visa and you have to travel before the next available interview appointment to begin class, please call the call center using the 900-6011 number if you have Telecom line or call our Regional U.S. Visa Information Center using a special Telefonica card and explain the nature of the emergency. All applicants should note that they will still need to prove that they qualify under US law to receive a visa. Remember only genuine emergencies qualify for a special appointment.
Visas for Medical Treatment
or humanitarian reasons.
There is no special visa for medical treatment or other
humanitarian concerns. Such applicants must still overcome
the presumption in section 214b INA that they are intending
immigrants and therefore ineligible to receive a visa.
Interviewing officers, however, will give applicants needing
medical treatment or traveling for humanitarian reasons
every consideration possible under the law. In order to
help us help you receive a nonimmigrant visa for travel
to the United States to obtain medical care, the following
documentation should be provided:
1. A professional diagnosis of the illness and evidence
that it cannot be treated in El Salvador;
2. Official letter from U.S. hospital and doctors, accepting
patient for treatment and providing estimated cost and
length of medical treatment;
3. Evidence regarding ability to pay for the treatment;
and
4. Proof of social, economic and professional ties in
El Salvador that will compel the applicant to return to
his/her home country following completion of the medical
treatment.
Click here to learn how to apply for the visa at this
Embassy.
Temporary Work Visas.
The Immigration and Nationality Act provides several categories of nonimmigrant visas for a person who wishes to work temporarily in the United States. In order to apply for a temporary work visa, the employer or agent in the U.S. must file a Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker (I-129) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the time of the visa interview, the applicant must present a Notice of Approval of the Petition (I-797).
Specific
information on the H2B work visa for temporary workers.
Visas for Domestic Employees
U.S. Citizens residing abroad may take a personal or domestic employee with them to the U.S. under certain conditions. If you are considering making an offer to your nanny or maid to accompany you to the United States, please consider the following visa-related guidelines. A written contract, incorporating all the following conditions, must accompany the domestic employee’s application for a B-1 visa. All claims must be documented to the satisfaction of the Consular Officer.
THE CONTRACT MUST:
- State that the employer will comply with local American labor laws, and specify the hourly wage that the employee will receive. This wage must be at least the federal/state minimum or locally prevailing wage, whichever is greater, for an eight-hour workday in the intended destination;
- Provide for free room and board. (The employer may not deduct these costs from the basic wage.);
- Contain original signatures of the both parties, and be presented to the Consular Officer at the visa interview and to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector upon entry to the U.S.
THE EMPLOYER MUST:
- Be the sole provider of employment.
THE EMPLOYEE MUST:
Have a residence abroad that s/he has no intention of abandoning;
Demonstrate at least one year’s experience as a personal or domestic employee; and
Have been employed abroad by the employer as a personal or domestic employee for at least one year prior to the date of the employer’s admission or visit to the United States.
Appointments for a B-1 visa can be made through our Visa Call Center only, at 900-6011 from a Telecom fixed telephone line or by getting a VISA USA card from Telefonica. The applicant must pay the $131 usd visa fee at Banco Cuscatlan and present an electronically-completed non immigrant visa application DS-156 (EVAF), a valid passport, a current 5x5 cm photo, and supporting documents to the Consular Officer. Please provide a copy of the employer’s passport for our records.
Lost or Stolen Passports
All persons who have lost or
had stolen a passport containing a valid U.S. visa who
wish to obtain a replacement visa
must appear for a personal interview. Please bring
a copy of the police report, report (Movimiento Migratorio)
from the Salvadoran immigration office noting your
exits
from and entries into El Salvador, and other documentation
as available. Lost visas should be immediately reported
to the visa section by fax to 503-2278-5522. Click
here to learn how to apply for a visa at this Embassy.
Third Country Nationals
Persons who do not reside in El Salvador may apply for
nonimmigrant visas (tourist, transit, student, temporary
work visas- H1B, J1, L, O, P-) at the U.S. Embassy in
San Salvador, but may have more difficulty proving outside
of their own country that they meet the legal requirements
for obtaining a nonimmigrant visa. If the person still
wish to apply, click here to learn about our application
system at this Embassy.
Additional Information
If you still have questions, please call our regional U.S.
Visa Information Center.
Our address in El Salvador:
Embajada de Los Estados Unidos
Seccion Consular
Boulevard Santa Elena Final
Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad
In the United States:
AmEmbassy San Salvador
CONS
3450 San Salvador Place
Washington, D.C. 20521-3450 |
