General Information

A valid Non-Immigrant Visa is required to visit the United States. Specific visas are required for persons who will attend school or be employed in the U.S. (see Student Visas, Temporary Workers).
A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the United States port-of-entry, and request permission from Department of Homeland Security to enter the United States. A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States.

All Non-Immigrant Visa applicants must appear in person for an interview. Interviews are scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Applicants should be prepared to wait up to three hours during peak visa processing times, particularly before school holidays and during the summer. Children applying for visas are required to be present at the interview. Due to the high interest in travel to the United States, we encourage visa applicants to schedule their appointments at least one month in advance of travel plans. Current visa wait times are published online (see Visa Wait Time).

How to Apply

Applicants must complete an on-line Application Form and Schedule a Visa Appointment.

1. Complete the Visa Application Form online.  It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that the information on the application is correct.
2. Print your application confirmation receipt only and check that the barcode and information on the receipt are printed clearly. Please do not print the application form itself as it is no longer required.  An electronic version of the form will be available to the adjudicating officer for your interview.
3. Visit the NIV Appointment System to schedule an appointment for your interview at the U.S. Embassy.
   
   
   • Select "Schedule an Appointment."
   • When prompted for a barcode, please read the last sentence on the page and choose "here" to proceed without a barcode.
   • Select your desired appointment, and fill in the requested information.
   • Be sure to retain the printed confirmation of your appointment to present upon arrival at the Embassy.
4. Pay the non-refundable processing fee at an Atlantic Bank branch and obtain a signed receipt. See below for fee schedule. This fee must be paid prior to the interview and your receipt must be submitted at the interview. There is no refund of the processing fee even if the visa is denied.
5. Gather all required and supporting documents. See the information below.
6. Appear in person at the U.S. Embassy Consular Section at your scheduled interview time.
7. At the Consular Section, you will be asked to provide an inkless scan of all ten fingerprints (Biometrics). See the information below. Providing your fingerscan will serve as your electronic signature for the form.
8. If your visa is approved, you may pick up the visa from the Consular Section at 3:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visas approved on Thursdays are not available until the following Tuesday at 3:00 pm.  Additionally, the U.S. Embassy is closed for all Belize and U.S. Holidays and visa pick-up will be available the next Tuesday or Thursday.

Required Documents

All visa applicants must bring the following documents with them to their scheduled interview.  Failure to bring these documents may require the applicant to reschedule the appointment. 

1. An undamaged passport that is valid for at least 6 months after planned entry to the U.S.  The U.S. Embassy recommends that applicants have the CARICOM machine-readable passport. Applicants without a machine-readable passport may be requested to obtain a new passport;
2. previous passports that document recent travel and contain any previous visas;
3. One color passport-sized photographs 2" x 2", taken within the last six months. The new visa application form enables applicants to upload their own photos, but you should bring printed photos in case the online photo is not acceptable;
4. Your printed application receipt with barcode;
5. For children under the age of 16, the applicant's original birth certificate or a certified replacement copy from the Department of Vital Statistics should be available as it may be requested by the adjudicating officer. Minor applicants must have the authorization of both parents or authorized legal guardian.  Please see additional information under "Visas for Minors".
6. A print-out of your on-line appointment. Visit the NIV Appointment System to schedule an appointment for your interview at the U.S. Embassy. You will need the barcode number from your application receipt in order to complete this form and receive an interview date and time;
7. A receipt for the processing fee paid to any Atlantic Bank. See below for fee schedule.

Note: Although not required, it is recommended that applicants bring supporting documentation to the interview to demonstrate strong economic, social and/or family ties to Belize.


Examples of Supporting Documentation:

• Letter from employer indicating position, monthly salary, length of employment, and the date of expected return to work after the trip to the U.S.
• Proof of salary received
• Business license, business tax receipts, business financial documents
• Property ownership or long term lease titles
• Recent bank statements, bank books, financial records
• Previous passports and/or documentation of prior international travel

All documents must be in English. Individual experience in obtaining a visa can range from relatively fast and simple to relatively complex and time consuming. There is no set list of documents that will guarantee visa issuance. Each application is adjudicated on its own merits. Possession of a previous or current visa does not automatically qualify an applicant for a new visa.

If you do not provide the required documentation at the time of the interview, your visa request will be refused and you will be required to begin the process again. If you do not provide sufficient supporting documentation at the time of interview, your visa may be refused.

Fee Schedule and Type of Visa Cost

Effective April 13, 2012, the Department of State will adjust visa processing fees.  The fees for most nonimmigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards will increase, while all immigrant visa processing fees will decrease.

The Department is required to recover, as far as possible, the cost of processing visas through the collection of application fees.  For a number of reasons, the current fees no longer cover the actual cost of processing nonimmigrant visas.  The nonimmigrant visa fee increase will support the addition and expansion of overseas facilities, as well as additional staffing required to meet increased visa demand.

Although most categories of nonimmigrant visa processing fees will increase, the fee for E visas (treaty-traders and treaty-investors) and K visas (for fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens) will decrease.

 Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Fees

Biometric Finger Scan Requirement

The U.S. Government is committed to securing it's borders while continuing to facilitate legitimate travel.  On October 26, 2006, Congress mandated that visas to international visitors include a so-called biometric identifier. The U.S. government decided that photographs and electronically scanned fingerprints were the most effective and least intrusive biometric identifiers.

The use of biometrics assists immigration inspectors in verifying the identity of an international traveller.  Biometric fingerscans collected at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad are checked at the ports of entry to verify that the person travelling with the visa is the same person who was issued the visa.

At the visa interview, your ten fingers will be electronically scanned and captured by computer. No ink is used, and the process takes only seconds. The fingerscan also serves as your electronic signature for the DS-160 online application form.

It is important that you take care of your hands before the interview. If you have cuts or blisters, your fingerprints may not be able to be scannedand you will have to return after they are healed. If you have a cut or blister, you should reschedule your appointment to a later date when your injury has healed.

Applicants under the age of 14 or over the age of 80 are not required to provide fingerscans.

Government Travel

Find out more about Diplomatic Visas or Government Travel.

Additional Resources

Information for U.S. citizen travelers and foreign visitors to the United States

Student Visas to study in the United State

Employment visas to work in the United State

• http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1323.html
• http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

Information on Immigrating to the United States of America

Electronic System for Travel Authorization and the Visa Waiver Program

Information on Biometrics