I lost my passport that contained a valid U.S. visa. What can I do?
If you lost your passport that contained a valid U.S. visa, you must apply by appointment. In addition to the required application materials, you must submit your new passport, entry/exit records from Korean Immigration, a signed and dated police report (translated into English; if available) and copy of the old visa (if available). Please schedule an interview appointment through Visa Information Web Services at http://www.us-visaservices.com.
I'm Korean. Can I travel to Guam without a visa?
If you hold a Korean passport that is valid for at least six months past your date of entry, you may seek entry to Guam for business or pleasure for 15 days or less without a visa. You must travel on a registered carrier, have a round-trip or onward ticket in your possession when arriving in Guam and cannot be otherwise ineligible for a U.S. visa. A visa waiver traveler to Guam cannot extend, adjust or change his/her status while in the U.S., including Guam, and cannot travel from Guam to another destination in the U.S.
The following passport holders are eligible for the Guam visa waiver: U.S. visa waiver travelers, as well as Indonesia, Malaysia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Solomon Islands, Taiwan (residents thereof who begin their travel in Taiwan and who travel on direct flights from Taiwan to Guam without an intermediate layover or stop except for stops in a U.S. territory enroute), the U.K. (British National Overseas, British Dependent Territory passports), Vanuatu and Western Samoa.
For Information on the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, click here.
What qualifies as evidence of finances?
Does the U.S. Embassy accept guarantees of financial support for NIV applications?
Evidence of finances may include bank books, income tax certificates, certificate of employment/business registration or proof of scholarship. While we highly recommend that you submit evidence of your financial situation to help us determine your compelling social and economics ties to Korea, such documents are not required to apply for an NIV. No NIV decision is based solely on an applicant's finances. When determining eligibility for a visa, economic, family and social ties are evaluated collectively. Guarantees of financial support from persons other than the applicant may have little bearing on a visitor visa application.
What visa do I have to apply for? F1? J1? B1/B2? G?
NIV type is determined by the purpose of travel stated on your NIV application (DS-156/DS-157). Please refer to "Visa Classifications " on this website to learn more.
What are my chances of getting a visa?
Please be assured that we adjudicate each visa application on its own merits as quickly as our resources permit, in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations. In Fiscal Year 2003 we adjudicated over 420,000 NIV applications, most within two working days of receipt, finding approximately 95% of all applicants eligible for a visa.
Please understand that no one, not a travel agent or us, can say in advance if an applicant is ineligible or eligible for an NIV. While U.S. law does not permit us to offer advance assurance that we can adjudicate an application in time to meet the applicant's desired travel plans, or that any particular applicant is eligible for a visa in advance of actually applying, we strive to offer the best possible service. For further information on the visa process please refer any interested parties to our website, available through links at http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/ or http://www.travel.state.gov/.
How can I help my friend get a visa?
Applying for a visa can seem complicated at times, and be a source of anxiety for the applicant. Understandably, many Americans want to help a friend, colleague or loved one through the visa process.
While the fundamental rule of applying for a visa is that an applicant must qualify based on his or her own circumstances.
If you wish to convey information to us in support of an application, please send it directly to the applicant, who can share it with us during his/her interview, or who can include it with a mail-in submission.
One of the most common misconceptions regarding nonimmigrant visas is that someone can act as a sponsor or offer to guarantee a person's return to their home country. We receive many such well-intentioned letters. Unfortunately, U.S. immigration law makes no provisions for offers of guarantee or the like.
We have more information on helping someone obtain a visa.
How do I arrange an interview?
Interview appointments are scheduled online through Visa Information Web Services at http://www.us-visaservices.com. The cost of the Visa Information Web Service is a flat fee of 12,000 Korean Won and is charged to a Visa or MasterCard. Purchasing a PIN for a flat fee will allow applicants to access additional information and schedule up to five appointments for immediate family members.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please go to USA VISA Information Services at http://www.us-visaservices.com. USA VISA Information Services is available 24 hours a day, and can be accessed from both inside and outside of Korea.
For nonimmigrant visa (NIV) inquiries (excluding E, H, L, O, P, Q visa inquiries), please e-mail us at : seoulniv@state.gov. For E, H, L, O, P, Q visa inquiries, please e-mail us at : seoulgoldteam@state.gov.
The applicant, not the U.S. Government, assumes full responsibility for all documents and materials submitted in connection with any consular or visa matter, and for qualifying for the required visa or travel document in time to meet the applicant's needs.
This is an official U.S. Government source of information on the WWW. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents.
Updated January 18, 2005
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