Nonimmigrant Visa

Application Requirements

Every applicant must present the following documents at the time of interview:

1. Completed DS-156, DS-157 and DS-158 forms. (See requirements for the different forms below.)  Forms can be downloaded from the Internet.  When completing your DS-156 application, please include the standard telegraphic code (STCs) identifying the Chinese characters for your name.
   
2. One recent (taken within the last six months) color passport-sized photograph (2 inches square). Please see the newest requirements for photos below.
   
3. A passport, which must be valid for more than six months. According to US government regulations a passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry to the United States.

In addition to the above requirements, you are advised to present documentation and other evidence establishing social, economic, and other ties that would compel your departure from the United States after a temporary and lawful stay. (See more details on what to bring in the section entitled " What type of visa do I need?")

Nonimmigrant Visa Application Forms
Please click on the appropriate forms below.

DS-156 Visa Application Form —  All applicants must complete this basic visa application form online, print the form, and bring it with them to their visa interview. All Chinese citizens (anyone applying with a Chinese passport) must answer all questions in both English and Chinese on the DS-156. The form is two pages, and must be printed on the front and back of each sheet of paper. Only A-4 or 8.5 x 11 inch paper will be accepted.  When the form is printed out, a third page will be produced which contains a bar code.  This bar code allows us to process the application more quickly and reduces the chance of data-entry errors.  Before you print out your DS-156 form, please double check all answers to ensure accuracy.  Click here for the DS-156 Visa Application Form.

DS-157 Supplemental Visa Application Form — All applicants 16 years of age and older must complete the DS-157 application forms.  If applying with a Chinese passport, the applicant must answer all questions in both English and Chinese. The form is one page, and must be printed on A-4 or 8.5 x 11 inch paper.  Click here for the DS-157 Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form

DS-158 Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant — All applicants applying for F (Student), J (Exchange Visitor) and M (Non-academic Student) visas, and their dependents (F-2, J-2 and M-2 visas), must complete the DS-158 application form.  If applying with a Chinese passport, all questions must be answered in both English and Chinese. The form is two pages, and must be printed on the front and back of each sheet of either A-4 or 8.5 x 11 inch paper.  Click here for the DS-158 Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa

New Requirement for Nonimmigrant Visa Application Photos

The photograph of each visa applicant must be

• An unmounted full-face photo, taken within the past six months. A "full face" photo is one in which the applicant is facing the camera directly. The applicant should not be looking down or to either side, and the face should cover about 50 percent of the area of the photo.
  Although variations in hair styles and in head coverings make it difficult to rigorously define the term "face," in general, the head of the applicant, including both face and hair, should be shown from the crown of the head to the tip of the chin on top and bottom, and from hair line side-to-side. It is preferable that the ears be exposed. The key requirement is that the photographs clearly identify the applicant.
• The photograph should measure 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm square) with the head centered in the frame. The head (measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure between 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm) with the eye level between 1 1/8 inch to 1 3/8 inches (28 mm and 35 mm) from the bottom of the photo.
• Photos must be in color and must be taken against a white or off-white background. Photos taken in front of busy, patterned, or dark backgrounds will not be accepted.
• Photos should be printed without borders.
• Photos should be stapled or glued to Form DS-156, Nonimmigrant Visa Application. If the photograph is stapled, the staples should be placed as far away as possible from the applicant's face.

Starting immediately, nonimmigrant visa applications should include a photo that meets the requirements outlined above. These are identical to the requirements for U.S. passport photos. Applicants are free to use the services of any studio that can produce photos meeting these requirements; however, it may be easier to get the required photos at studios that can already produce U.S. passport photos. After April 10, only photos meeting these new standards will be accepted for nonimmigrant visa applications.

The Sample Photo