Student/Exchange Visitor

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions on Suspension of Transit Without Visa.

When will my nonimmigrant visa (NIV) be finished?

What does my appointment time mean?

I'm not a Korean citizen. Can I apply for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) at the U.S. Embassy Seoul?

I lost my passport that contained a valid U.S. visa. What can I do?

Can I travel to Guam without a visa?

What qualifies as evidence of finances? Does the U.S. Embassy accept guarantees of financial support for NIV applications?

What visa do I have to apply for? F1? J1? B1/B2? G?

What are my chances of getting a visa?

How can I help a friend get a visa?

How do I make an appointment to apply for a visa?

When will my nonimmigrant visa (NIV) be finished?

In general, NIV processing takes about five to eight working days once we receive all application materials in good order. Re-applications can take several more working days.  Please note that NIV processing time may vary with our workload. The Embassy is closed on both U.S. and Korean holidays, and weekends. There is no visa processing when we are closed. You may wish to call Ilyang/DHL (1588-0002) or HanJin(1588-0011) to inquire about the pick-up and delivery status of your passport.

Please note that during our busy seasons, near the end of the calendar year, around Lunar New Year and in the summer, NIV processing times may vary with our workload. While we try to process all NIV applications as quickly as possible, please do not count on expedited processing during these busy periods.

 

What does my appointment time mean? 

Your appointment time is the time when we are expecting you to appear at the first floor of the U.S. Embassy Seoul, Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) branch, to begin your NIV application processing, one of 400,000 applications we process annually. Your interview will not be at that time, it will be later. For example, if your appointment is at 9:00 AM, please be inside the Embassy at 9:00 AM. Your interview is only the last part of your NIV processing on the day of your appointment. We try to interview applicants within one hour upon their arrival at the Embassy, but given our large volume and high complexity of applications, we can never guarantee that NIV processing can be finished in time to suit anyone's plans. We do try to process applicants as quickly as possible. Please bring your appointment admission ticket. Please arrive in time for airport style security screening as you enter the Embassy. Please bring your application materials completely, correctly and legibly filled out.

 

I'm not a Korean citizen.
Can I apply for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) at the U.S. Embassy Seoul?

Yes, anyone physically present in Korea may apply for an NIV here. NIV applicants are interviewed by scheduling an appointment through Visa Information Web Services at www.us-visaservices.com.

Spouses and minor children of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel (U.S., military or civilian) may have interviews for nonimmigrant visas (NIVs) to visit the U.S. without appointments.

Korean employees of USFK, and their spouse and minor children may also have interviews for NIVs without appointments at the same time if the primary applicant is on official travel. These applicants must fall in line at the Embassy's side entry at 8:30 am, any workday, Monday-Friday, except Korean or U.S. holidays, with all documents fully prepared, including official orders, and necessary fees paid in advance.

Please review the information on this website for detailed information about documents and fees, and downloadable forms, including an electronic application form (DS-156).

U.S. law requires that all visitor and student NIV applicants show sufficiently strong family, social, professional or economic ties to a residence abroad to ensure that their stay in the U.S. will be temporary. Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (INA), states that "every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until s/he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa, that s/he is entitled to nonimmigrant status." This means that we are required to view each NIV applicant as intending to immigrate, and therefore ineligible for an NIV, until the applicant proves otherwise. We must caution non-Koreans that establishing such ties while someone is away from home, and in Korea temporarily, can be difficult.

NIV processing usually takes up to seven working days, during busy periods longer, after we have received all application materials in good order. Please apply early to avoid last minute problems.