Visitor ( B1 / B2 )
Applicants applying before their 14th birthday
A child 13 years old or younger is not required to come to the U.S. Embassy to apply for a B visa as long as at least one parent holds a valid U.S. B visa. The child applicant must be physically present in Korea at time of application. Such applicants may apply by sending the following through Ilyang (1588-0002) or Hanjin (1588-0011) two-way courier:
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A passport valid for travel to the United States with any plastic/leather cases removed.
(Note 1: A passport with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States is required for certain countries, unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions. Korean and certain other country passports are exempt from this requirement.)
(Note 2: Admission into the United States may not be granted by the immigration authorities for a period extending beyond the actual expiration date shown in the passport, and an alien’s stay in the United States cannot be extended beyond that date until an extension of the validity of the passport has been obtained.) -
A completed and signed Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (E-form DS-156) with photo (50mm x 50mm, white background, taken within the past six months).
- Photocopy of one or both parent's valid U.S. visa.
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Certificate of Family Relationship (previously referred to as Family Census Registry). Note in certain cases the Embassy may also ask to see additional documents including Basic Certificate, Certificate of Marital Status, and/or Adoption Certificate.
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Your old passport containing child's previously issued U.S. visa, if applying for a renewal.
If neither parent holds a valid B visa, the child's parent must schedule an interview online at www.us-visaservices.com or by calling 003-08-131-420 from within Korea (M-F, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM) and apply on their child's behalf.
Note: The consular officer may request additional information if needed.
A child 13 years old or younger DOES NOT need to come to the U.S. Embassy for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview, but the child must be residing in Korea while his/her visa application is pending. We consider Koreans studying and/or living overseas as overseas residents. An overseas resident may not send his/her application to us by courier from a foreign country. Under U.S. law, overseas Koreans should apply for U.S. visas in the country where they reside.
Visa processing for applicants under 14 years old who submitted their applications via courier is taking approximately 2 to 3 weeks.
For more information on B visas, please click here
Updated: October 21, 2009