- How to Apply
- Case Status
- After the Interview
Labor Certification – Some temporary worker visa categories require your prospective employer to obtain a labor certification or other approval from the Department of Labor on your behalf before filing the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, with USCIS. Your prospective employer should review the Instructions for Form I-129 on the USCIS website to determine whether labor certification is required for you.
Petition Approval – Some temporary worker categories are limited in total number of petitions which can be approved on a yearly basis. Before you can apply for a temporary worker visa at the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, must be filed on your behalf by a prospective employer and be approved by USCIS. For more information about the petition process, eligibility requirements by visa category, and numerical limits, if applicable, see Working in the U.S. and Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers on the USCIS website. Once the petition is approved, USCIS will send your prospective employer a Notice of Action, Form I-797.
Step 1. Check the Validity of your Passport
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in the United States (e.g. if you plan to go to the United States for one month in March, your passport must be valid at least through October).
- Your passport must have at least one blank visa page.
Step 2. Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
- Fill out DS-160 Electronic Application Form. Please be aware that only the following circumstances will be considered for an expedited appointment: Urgent medical care for yourself or a family member, death of an immediate family member, urgent business when travel needs could not have been predicted in advance, and to begin or resume a program of study when no student visa appointments are available.All applicants who wish to have an expedited appointment are required first to fill out an electronic application form DS-160, schedule a visa appointment before requesting an expedited appointment and send a request to Consularbishkek@state.gov
Step 3. Collect any Supporting Documentation
Only a passport, DS-160 confirmation page, Appointment confirmation page, a 2 x 2 inch color photo not older than 6 months – with a light or white background ( if not uploaded in the electronic application), and all the supporting forms (including copies of I-129, I-797, etc.) are required for the visa interview. Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of:
- The purpose of your trip.
- Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
- Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.
Note: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a nonimmigrant tourist visa. If you do choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember that it is not one of the factors that we use in determining whether to issue or deny a nonimmigrant business visa.
Step 4. Schedule an Interview Appointment
To schedule an appointment for a non-immigrant visa (NIV) interview, please go to NIV Appointment System. Please, have your DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form Confirmation Number handy. It is located on your DS-160 confirmation page, in bold print.
Step 5. Come to an Interview with a Consular officer
During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying. Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. They are usually taken during your interview.
Step 6. Pay the MRV Fee
On the day of your interview, please pay the following nonrefundable visa application fees: $ 160 for B-1 (Business) and B-2 (Tourism & Visit) nonimmigrant visas; $ 190 for H, L, O, P, Q, and R visas; and $ 205 for E visas. All visa fees must be paid in U.S. dollars or Kyrgyz som based on the exchange rate established by the U.S. Embassy at the cash desk of the Consular section on the day of interview. Please, note that this fee is non-refundable. Applicants should not pay this fee unless they are 100% confident that they want to apply for the U.S. visa.
NOTE: We accept full amount only in one currency either in US dollars or KG soms, we can’t accept $100 and the rest amount in KG soms.
Step 7. Pay the Visa Issuance Fee
If your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee, depending on the type of visa issued. If you are issued an H, L, O, P, Q, and R visas, you will need to pay an additional fee of $25 for six months or $45 for one year for Kyrgyz Nationals (depends on the length of validity of your petition). Issuance Fee depends on your nationality. You may check this website for more information on reciprocity.
Step 8. Return to Collect your Passport and Visa
If you are issued the visa, return on Friday at 3:00 PM to collect your passport and visa.