Visitor (B1/B2)
Non-Korean Citizens
Anyone physically present in Korea may apply for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) here. Applicants must schedule an appointment online at www.us-visaservices.com or by calling 003-08-131-420 within Korea (M-F, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM). Please understand that making an application does not equal eligibility for a visa. Please bring the following with you to your scheduled appointment:
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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 Application (DS-156) with photo (See "photo requirements" for the DS-156) for each person applying. A separate form is needed for children, even if they are included in a parent's passport.
- Form DS-157, Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application, is required to be submitted with Form DS-156 by all male nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants between the age of 16 and 45, regardless of nationality or place of application.
- Proof of legal status in Korea (i.e., Korean visa, Korean alien registration card, etc.).
- A visa application fee receipt from Shinhan Bank for each applicant (including each child listed in a parent's passport who is also applying for a U.S. visa). The fee may be paid at any of the bank's branches in Korea. There is a branch only a short walk from the Embassy; (click for map).
- A courier receipt from an Embassy-approved courier company within Korea. Courier forms are available through the Ilyang (1588-0002; www.ilyanglogis.com) or Hanjin (1588-0011; www.hanjin.co.kr) courier companies, or at the Embassy on your appointment date.
Note: The consular officer may request additional information if needed.
For more information on B visas, please click here.
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. Please be aware that applicants form certain countries or backgrounds, or engaged in certain fields of study, may require additional, quite lengthy processing.
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.
If you are a dependent (spouse or minor child) of a USFK member or a U.S. citizen/immigrant living in Korea, please click here for application instructions.
Last updated: October 21, 2009