Nonimmigrant Visas

General Information

How To Make An NIV Interview Appointment

All applicants must schedule their own appointments at:

http://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=KNG&appcode=3

This is an electronic calendar that will show available dates and times. Please select the date and time most convenient for you and make a separate appointment for each member of your family or persons traveling with you. If the date and time is unavailable, please select another date and time.  If there are no dates available, please check the website later, as appointments frequently become available over the course of each week.  (NOTE: Children under 6 years of age need not appear in person, but must have an appointment to have their application submitted by a parent or court-appointed legal guardian).  The fee for appointments is $131 U.S. for each applicant, payable to Paymaster.  Please remember that Saturday appointments, when scheduled, are reserved for visa renewals ONLY.
 
Type your full name (last name first), phone number, last 6 digits of your passport number and your Paymaster receipt number.  If you are in the process of obtaining a new passport, you may input the last 6 digits of the old passport number.  The phone number you provide will only be used if necessary to cancel your appointment.
 
Please schedule only one appointment per person.  If you schedule more than one appointment for yourself or another individual, you will not be permitted to enter the Embassy and will have to schedule another appointment properly.  In the event of an unscheduled or emergency Embassy closing on the day of your appointment, you will need to make another appointment.
 
Please remember that handwritten forms will not be accepted.  You must complete electronic versions of forms DS-156, DS-157, and (if you are a student or exchange visitor visa applicant) DS-158.  

The Interview Process

Who Must Be Interviewed?

All applicants between the ages of 6 and 79 must be interviewed in person for a visa.  This rule applies to first-time applicants and those seeking to renew their visas. 

• Children under 6 years old are not required to appear in person for visa interviews.
• Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when being interviewed for the visa.  Parents or legal guardians also must present their own passport or identification to the interviewing officer, and must bring an original version of the child's birth certificate on security paper from the Registrar General's Department.  Additionally, legal guardians must present original, official court documentation that they have been appointed guardian of the minor. 

A personal interview may not be required if:

• the applicant is under 6 years old;
• the applicant is over 79 years old;
• the applicant is traveling on official government business

The U.S. Embassy will continue to accept visa applications by courier only from applicants, as described above, who are not subject to the personal appearance requirement. If you have questions as to whether you need to come to the U.S. Embassy for a personal interview send an e-mail query to consularkingst@state.gov.

Arrival and Security Screening

On the day of your NIV interview, arrive no more than 15 minutes before or after your scheduled appointment time to undergo security screening procedures. 

All applicants who arrive at the Embassy for their interview will undergo security screening at the point of entry.  Firearms, knives, sharp objects and all electronic devices, including cell phones and cameras, are strictly prohibited inside the Embassy.  You will not be allowed entry into the Embassy if carrying these kinds of items.  Please fully cooperate with Embassy security officials, who are simply trying to safeguard the security of applicants and Embassy personnel.

Fingerprint Scanning

In addition to the security screening process, applicants will have to undergo inkless “digital” painless fingerprint scanning before their interviews.  The scanning process is in accordance with U.S. law that requires all U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide to collect biometric identifiers from visa applicants.  The collection of fingerprints from visa applicants facilitates legitimate travel to the U.S. by international visitors while maintaining the integrity of our borders and the security of our nation and our visitors. 
 
Children under age 14, adults over the age of 79, diplomats and other government and international organization employees engaged in official travel to the U.S. will not need to provide finger scans. 
 
Any applicant who refuses to be fingerprinted will have his or her application denied on the basis that it is incomplete.  However, an applicant who later decides to provide fingerprints will have his or her application considered without prejudice. 
 
The electronic fingerprint records collected in the visa issuance process are, by law, confidential.  They are stored in a database by the U.S. Department of State and are made available to immigration inspectors at the port of entry under the Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT (U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) program to verify that the person traveling with the visa is the same person to whom the visa was issued.  Fingerprint collection will make it easier to replace lost or stolen visas and will protect the visitor by making it virtually impossible for anyone else to fraudulently use their travel documents.  Travel data will be securely stored and made available only to authorized officials and selected law enforcement agencies on a need-to-know basis.  For more information, click on http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1336.html.

Documents Required

Have the following documentation available:

• A passport that is valid for at least the next six months
  
• All previous U.S. visas in old passports (even if the visa and/or passport has expired or has been cancelled)
  
• Completed and signed visa application DS-156 and DS-157 forms (all forms must be completed electronically; handwritten forms are not accepted):
  
• DS-156 http://evisaforms.state.gov/
  
• DS-157 http://foia.state.gov/FORMS/visa/ds0157.pdf
  
• DS-158 http://foia.state.gov/FORMS/visa/ds0158.pdf (for students and exchange visitors only)
  
• One passport-sized photo (2” by 2” in a dark-colored shirt on white or off-white background).  This photo can not be more than 6 months old.
  
• Paymaster “fee paid” receipts (numbered “1” and “2”) or a visa pay receipt from the cashier’s office at the Embassy
  
• If applying for a minor under the age of 18, an original copy of the minor’s birth certificate from the Registrar General’s Department on security paper (NOTE:  Children under the age of 6 are not required to appear in person for visa interviews.  Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when being interviewed for the visa.  Parents or legal guardians must also present their own passport or identification to the Consular Officer at the time of their child’s interview.  Additionally, legal guardians must present original, official court documentation that they have been appointed guardian of the minor).

Additional documentation is required for student visa, temporary work visa seekers and others; click on the sections listed under “Other Helpful Links” for more detailed information.  Documentation must be presented by the applicant at the time of interview.  The Embassy does not respond or act on unsolicited documentation received by fax or e-mail.

The Interview - An Overview

U.S. immigration law presumes that everyone applying for a nonimmigrant visa is intending to immigrate to the U.S.  The burden of proof is on the applicant to demonstrate to the interviewing officer that he or she has a residence outside the United States that the applicant will not abandon.  Information that demonstrates strong ties to Jamaica includes (but is not limited to):

• Letter from employers stating position, date of employment and proof of current salary (e.g., pay slips);
• Statements from banks or credit unions indicating current and six-month average checking and savings balances;
• Property Titles
• Marriage Certificates

Self-employed persons, including vendors, businessmen and others should submit their most recent Income Tax Assessment from the Board of Inland Revenue or evidence of income (such as valid contracts or receipts) and their business registration instead of a job letter.
 
NOTE: Possession of these documents does not guarantee that a visa will be granted.  The final decision is up to the consular officer, and the burden of poof is on the applicant.
 
NOTE: Submission of any fraudulent documents may render you permanently ineligible for a visa to the U.S. 

The interview will only last a few minutes.  Most of the information the consular officer needs to decide your case is included on the application forms which must be filled out completely and accurately.  Providing false information on these forms or false documents in support of your application can make you permanently ineligible for a visa to travel to the U.S.

Applicants Who Require Assistance

Applicants who are unable to successfully participate in the visa interview (for example due to illness, frailty, a physical or mental disability, or a language barrier) may be accompanied by another individual to help facilitate the visa interview process.  All individuals who are accompanying applicants to the interview must bring a valid passport or other identification to gain access to the U.S. Embassy.  Normally, immediate relatives are considered the most appropriate individual to accompany the applicant, but an applicant’s caretaker or close friend may also assist with the interview process.

For Cayman Islands Residents

All forms should be filled out electronically as described above.  Applicants who do not require personal interviews may submit their application forms by courier to the Embassy.  All other applicants must make an appointment at http://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=KNG&appcode=3.  

If your visa application is approved, there are two options for picking up the printed visa. 

You may pick up your visa at the Embassy the day after your interview at 1:30 p.m. or you may return to the Cayman Islands with your passport and a letter from the Consular Officer and mail your passport back to the Embassy.  Specific instructions will be discussed by the Consular Officer at the time of your interview.

If Your Application Has Been Refused

If you do not qualify for a visa, you will be informed about the reasons for the refusal.  The decision cannot be appealed.

However, if later you have new evidence that would affect your eligibility for a visa, you may make a new application.  You must first make an appointment online at http://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=KNG&appcode=3.  You will need to present the completed application forms DS-156, DS-157, and DS-158 (student and exchange visitor visa applicants only), both copies of the payment voucher for the US$131 application fee (available at any Paymaster location), one recent passport-size photo and any other documents that are relevant to your application.

If you have other questions regarding visa requirements or the interview process, feel free to contact the visa section at consularkingst@state.gov.