Nonimmigrant Visas

OVERVIEW

All Jamaicans who are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents need a visa to enter the U.S. Nonimmigrant visas (NIVs) are intended for those who plan to visit the U.S. for business or pleasure; students or exchange visitors embarking on study or cultural work programs in the U.S.; people who are transiting through the U.S. to other onward destinations; seasonal temporary workers or workers who have been hired by U.S. companies for longer periods of time; visitors on diplomatic, official or U.N. business; journalists who are providing media coverage of time-specific events; and others who are traveling to the U.S. for limited time periods.

Applicants under the age of 6 and over the age of 79 do not need to appear in person unless requested. All other applicants must appear in person. This requirement to appear personally applies both to first-time applicants and to those seeking to renew previously issued visas.

Hours of Operation

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., except for holidays
NIV Appointments and Visa Renewals: 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Monday and Friday
Saturday appointments, when scheduled, are for visa renewals ONLY.
Electronic items, including cell phones, cameras, beepers, and pagers, are prohibited from the Embassy compound and should be secured elsewhere before entering.

Some NIV renewal applicants may be eligible for our walk-in visa reissuance process, Mondays, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please see our press release under "What's New" to see if you qualify.

E-mail: consularkingst@state.gov

How to Make an Appointment
All applicants must schedule their own appointments at:
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=KNG&appcode=3
This is an electronic calendar that will show available dates and times. If at first there are no appointments available, check the website again later, as appointments frequently become available over the course of the week.
TEMPORARY WORKERS AND PERFORMERS: For information about the application procedures for H-2B temporary worker visas and O and P class performance visas, you must e-mail the Consular Section at H2Bkingston@state.gov prior to coming in for an interview to ensure a smooth process.

Emergency Appointments

Applicants need to apply for an emergency appointment via email. The Embassy does not process emergency appointment requests via fax, letter mail, telephone or personal appearance.

The Embassy’s guidelines are very specific regarding what constitutes an emergency. These reasons are:

Illness or death of an immediate family member (immediate family members are the applicant’s mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife, son, and/or daughter).
Emergency medical treatment which includes any persons needing to travel for support (such as a parent caring for an ill child).
Emergent business travel (such as H1B skilled workers or C1/D crewmembers needing to embark from a Jamaican port immediately).
Student or exchange visitors needing to report to school/programs on short notice

All applicants requesting an emergency appointment must first fill out an electronic visa application form and pay the requisite fee at Paymaster. Applicants who believe they qualify for an emergency appointment must then e-mail the Visa Unit at: kingstonvisas@state.gov. The email must contain the following information:

Applicant’s name
Applicant’s date of birth
Applicant’s phone number
Applicant’s reason for requesting an emergency appointment
Applicant’s Paymaster receipt number
Date applicant needs to travel

All applications for an emergency appointment will be reviewed within 5 working days from the day they are received and the applicant will be informed whether they have been given an emergency appointment. If you do not receive a response after 5 working days, your request has not been granted.

If you are granted an emergency appointment under the above guidelines, you will be given additional information on what to bring to your interview and the date and time of your emergency appointment. The kingstonvisas@state.gov e-mail is for emergency appointment requests only. Other inquiries will not be answered, and should be directed to consularkingst@state.gov.

Fees

A visa application fee of $131 U.S. dollars must be paid (in Jamaican dollars at the exchange rate set by the U.S. Embassy) for the NIV interview. For Jamaican and Caymani residents, you may pay this fee through your local Paymaster Jamaica Limited branch. For residents of other nations, you may pay this fee at the cashier’s window in the U.S. Embassy on the morning of your appointment.

Forms

The U.S. Department of State now requires all applicants to fill out an electronic version of DS-156 AND DS-157. Handwritten forms are no longer accepted.

The DS-156 form can be found on-line at:

http://evisaforms.state.gov/

The DS-157 form can be found on-line at:

http://foia.state.gov/FORMS/visa/ds0157.pdf

Finally, student visa and exchange visa applicants also must fill out form DS-158 in addition to the DS-156 and DS-157 forms. This form can be found online at:

http://foia.state.gov/FORMS/visa/ds0158.pdf

Each electronic form will have a barcode used for scanning the application when you appear at the Embassy for your appointment. Unacceptable barcodes (those that are not read by our scanner due to poor printer quality and other factors) will not be accepted and applicants will have to exit the Embassy and return with a readable barcode.

Example of Unreadable Barcode

Example of Readable Barcode

Visa Appointment Wait Time

The average wait time between when an appointment was scheduled until the time of the scheduled visa interview frequently varies. Additionally, appointments often become available over the course of each week as appointments are added or cancelled. The following website contains realtime information on visa appointment wait times:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php

Please note: the listed processing times are averages. The timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case. Many additional factors, such as the need for special clearances, incomplete applications, and fraud investigation may influence the processing of individual cases. Please plan accordingly to avoid delays.

NIV Processing Time

Unless otherwise directed, approved nonimmigrant visas will be delivered directly to applicants through a professional courier service. At the time applicants are approved for an NIV, they will immediately proceed to the courier company, which is located just a three minute walk from the Embassy. Each visa recipient will pay a fee to the company and will arrange all delivery details with company representatives. The courier company will deliver the passport with visa affixed approximately four (4) business days after the date of the Embassy interview.

For certain emergencies, expedited processing may be available. Any expedited processing requests will be reviewed by the Consular Officer at the time of your interview. Visa renewals do not qualify for expedited processing.

For Caymani residents two different options are available. You may pick-up your visa at the Embassy the second business day after your interview at 1:30pm 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.

Documentation for the Interview

A valid passport
All previous U.S. visas in old passports (even if expired)
Completed and signed visa application forms:
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 taken within last 6 months)
Paymaster “fee paid” receipts, which are numbered “1” and “2”. For fees paid beginning 01 January 2008, the fee is $131.
If applying for a minor under 18, an original copy of the child’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 interviewing officer. Additionally, legal guardians must present original, official court documentation that they have been appointed guardian of the minor.)

Additional documentation is required from applicants for student visas and temporary work visas, as well as some other categories. Click on the sections listed under "Other Helpful Links" below for more detailed information.

This site is managed by the U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

	Home \| Embassy News \| Citizen Services \| Visas \| Policy & Issues \| Resources Contact Us \| FAQ'S \| Site Index \| Privacy \| Webmaster