VISA SERVICES
What is the difference between an immigrant and a non-immigrant visa?
NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS:
A non-immigrant visa permits an individual to
enter and remain in the United States for a temporary visit and
to take part in the activities allowed under the particular visa
classification issued.
Under immigration law it is assumed that all visa applicants are
intending immigrants until they have demonstrated to a consular
official at the time of visa application that they are not an
intending immigrant and that they intend to return to their
country after completing the purpose of their travel.
IMMIGRANT VISAS:
An immigrant visa gives an individual the
right to residency in the United States.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is a non-immigrant visa?
- Validity of a non-immigrant visa
and period of stay in the United States
What do I need to do to apply for
a visa?
- Do I have to apply in person?
- How much time does it take to
process a visa?
What do I present to apply for a
visa?
What type of visa do I need?
- Temporary Visitor for Business or
Tourism (B1/B2)
- Medical Cases
- Transit Visas (C class)
- Crew Member (Ship or Airplane -
C1/D)
- Student/Spouse or Child of Student
(F1/F2)
- Exchange Visitor/Spouse or Child of
Exchange Visitor (J1/J2)
- Special Work Visas (H class)
Frequently Asked Questions
- I have a valid visa, but it is in
my expired passport. May I still travel with the visa?
- How do I transfer or renew my B1/B2
visa?
- For how long must my passport be
valid to receive a visa?
- What effect does my association
with a citizen of the United States have on my
application for a visa?
- My application for a visa was
denied. How long do I have to wait to apply again for a
visa?
- My visa application was denied. Is
the $100.00 interview fee refunded?
- I lost my passport with my valid
U.S visa. What do I need to present to have my visa
replaced?
- I am a foreign national in
Nicaragua without legal residency. Can I apply for a
visa to the U.S here?
- How can I contact the Consular
Section?
Links to Related
Sites
IMMIGRANT VISAS
An immigrant visa gives an individual the right to reside in the United
States
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NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS
A non-immigrant visa is issued in order that an alien may
enter the U.S. for a temporary period of time. The alien may
remain in the U.S. for the period of time determined by INS at
the port of entry and may engage only in activities allowed for
the assigned visa category.
According to U.S. Immigration and Naturalization laws and
statutes, every applicant is presumed to be an intending immigrant
until he/she establishes to the full satisfaction of the consular
officer, at the time of interview and to the immigration officer at
the time of application for admission at any port of entry, that
he/she is entitled to non-immigrant status and intends to return to
his/her own country after a temporary stay in the U.S.
1.1 Validity of a non-immigrant
visa and period of stay in the United States:
A visa is used to apply for entry to the
United States. The validity of a visa represents the time period
during which the holder may apply for admission to the U.S. At
the port-of-entry, an Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS)
official will determine whether or not an alien is admitted to
the United States.
The period of visa validity has no relation to
the period of time the immigration authorities at a port of entry
may authorize the alien to stay in the United States. When the
holder of a visa applies for admission to the United States at a
port of entry, an immigration official will issue an I-94 form that
will indicate the length of time the holder of the visa is allowed
to remain in the U.S.
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Pay the USD 100 application fee at any branch
of BANCENTRO; at time of payment the bank will schedule an
appointment for each applicant. The bank receipt will show the
date and time to apply for the visa. (Note; if you fail to
arrive the day of the scheduled interview, you may return any
day after the appointment day except Thursday or holidays, the
bank slip is valid for 6 months).
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2.1 Do I have to apply in person?
Every alien seeking a non-immigrant visa is required to apply
in person before a Consular officer in the consular district in
which the applicant resides and to which they have their
economic, family and professional ties. Minors between the ages
of 2 to 18 yrs. old should be accompanied by their parents and
present an original birth certificate at the time of the
interview.
The consular officer may waive the requirement of personal
appearance for:
- A child under 2 year of age;
- An applicant for a diplomatic or official visa.
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2.2 How much time does it take to process a
visa?
In the majority of cases, visas that have been approved are
issued the same day. In some special cases, more administrative time
is needed. Once the visa is approved, it will be printed in the
applicant's passport and returned via Correos de Nicaragua, a local
courier service. The fee for the mandatory use of the courier
service is US$5.00. Once the visa has been issued, general delivery
time takes from 24 to 48 hours. The US$5.00 fee is paid upon
collection of the passport from the designated Correos de Nicaragua
branch. It is recommended that individuals apply at least a week
before the intended date of travel.
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The applicant must present:
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A completed copy of the Non-Immigrant
Visa Application form (DS-156).
-
All male applicants between the ages of
16 to 45 years old, must also fill-out the Supplementary
Form DS-157 (available at the Consular Section, free of
charge).
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A recent photo size 2”x2”(taken within
last 6 months) on a white background.
-
A full face photo is one in which the
applicant is facing the camera directly. hats, eyeglasses,
and other paraphernalia covering the face must be removed.
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A valid passport.
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The bank receipt.
General requirement for non-immigrant visas:
The burden of proof is on the applicant to
establish qualification for non-immigrant status and the type of
non-immigrant visa for which the application is made. U.S
consular officers base issuance or denial of visas on the
requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as
amended. To obtain a visitors visa, applicants must demonstrate
they have a residence abroad, sufficient financial resources to
undertake the trip, and family and professional ties to their
home country to establish that they will depart the U.S after
completion of the trip.
Consular officers may require the submission of
additional information or question an applicant on any relevant
matters regarding their economic, family and/or social position in
their native country if the information provided on the Non-immigrant
Visa Application Form (Form DS-156) is not sufficient to determine
the applicant's eligibility to receive a non-immigrant visa.
Additional original documents that could be
requested during an interview as evidence of an applicants' ties to
Nicaragua include, but are not limited to, work letters with listed
salary, pay stubs, birth certificates, marriage certificates,
passports of other members of the family with visas, bank statements,
credit cards, property titles, business licence, school records and
registrations. A list of Recommended Documents to Bring to Your Visa
Interview can be obtained at the Consulate entrance.
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The purpose of entry into the U.S. determines
the classification of the visa that is issued. The following is
a list with the most commonly sought Non-immigrant Visas and an
explanation for each.
4.1. Temporary Visitor for Business
or Tourism
A temporary visitor for business or tourism
is any alien who:
-
Has a residence in a foreign country which
they do not intend to abandon;
-
Seeks admission for the sole purpose of
engaging in legitimate activities related to business or
pleasure;
-
Intends to enter the United States for a
period of specifically limited duration; and
-
Has an adequate financial arrangement to
enable him/her to carry out the purpose of the visit or and
departure from the U.S.
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4.2. Medical Cases
To apply for a visa for medical treatment in the United
States, the following guidelines are suggested:
- Information on the approximate costs of the treatment.
- Show proof on how those costs will be covered
- In the case of an individual sponsor, we would need to see
evidence of sufficient financial resources to meet the sometimes
substantial costs of medical treatment and/or surgery in the U.S.
- Affidavits from the hospital/organization that will cover
the expenses beyond those borne by the individual sponsors
- An epicrisis from the Doctor that has been treating the
patient (in Nicaragua)
- A signed letter from the Hospital explaining the treatment
required, the amount of time the patient is expected to be
treated and recovery time, and how much the treatment is
estimated will cost.
- A signed letter from the Specialist that will be treating
the patient explaining the medical procedure and the estimated
length of treatment
- Evidence of the applicant’s economic and family ties to
Nicaragua that demonstrate that the applicant intends to return
to Nicaragua after being treated in the U.S.
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4.3. Transit Visas (C class)
An alien in Transit is any alien who:
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Intends to pass in immediate and continuous
transit through the United States;
-
Is in possession of a common carrier ticket
or other evidence of transportation arrangements to the alien's
destination;
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Is in possession of sufficient funds to carry
out the purpose of the transit journey, or has sufficient funds
otherwise available for that purpose; and
-
Has permission to enter some country other
than the U.S. following the transit through the U.S., unless the
alien submits satisfactory evidence that such advance permission
is not required.
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4.4. Crew Member (Ship or Airplane. C1/D)
A crewmember (Sea or Air) is any alien who is
employed on board a vessel or aircraft of company and is
employed in a capacity required for normal operation and service
as a regular member of the crew.
For C1/D visas applicants should bring an
original copy of their current employment contract letter from the
company they work for and any current or expired visas from the last
five years.
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4.5. Student / Spouse or Child of
Student (F1/F2)
When applying for a student visa the
applicant must present:
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An original I-20 form from the U.S. School
properly completed and signed by the applicant.
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Fill out forms DS-156(non immigrant visa
application ), DS-158 (Contact Information & Work History)
-
All male applicants between the ages of 16 to
45 years old, must also fill-out the Supplementary Form DS-157 (form
is available at the Consular Section, free of charge)
-
One photo size 2”x2” on a white background.
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A valid passport
-
The bank receipt of payment of the US$100.00
fee
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Present evidence of having sufficient
financial resources to cover expenses while in the United States
or information to satisfy the consular officer that other
arrangements have been made to meet those expenses.
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Evidence that they intend, and will be able,
to depart upon completion of studies.
The alien spouse and minor children of an alien
who has been or will be issued a student visa may receive an F2 visa
if the consular officer is satisfied:
-
They will be accompanying or following to
join the principal alien;
-
That sufficient funds are available to cover
their expenses during their stay in the United States;
-
Present evidence of their ties to Nicaragua
that will prove that they intend to leave the United States upon
the termination of the status of the principal alien.
F2 visa applicants should also present original
copies of marriage and birth certificates plus an original I-20 form
if following to join the F1 visa holder.
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4.6. Exchange Visitor / Spouse or
Child of Exchange Visitor (J-1/J-2)
An alien is classifiable as an exchange
visitor (J-1) if the consular officer is satisfied the alien:
-
Fill out forms DS-156, DS-157 (for men
between 16-45 years old) and DS-158 (all available at the
consular section).
-
Has been accepted to participate, and intends
to participate, in an exchange visitor program designated by the
United States Information Agency as evidenced by the
presentation of a properly executed DS-2019 (Former IAP-66) (Certificate
of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor);
-
Has sufficient funds to cover expenses or has
made other arrangements to provide for those expenses
-
Has sufficient knowledge of the English
language to undertake the program for which selected, or the
sponsoring organization is aware of the language limitation and
has nevertheless indicated willingness to accept the alien.
The spouse or minor child of an alien classified
J-1 is classifiable as J-2.
Please note that the Name and Date-of-Birth on
the Form DS-2019 must exactly match the Name and Date-of-Birth as it
appears in the passport.
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4.7. Special Work Visas (H-1, L-1, O-1, P & Q)
A Special Work Visa is the end result of a
petition to be filed with INS by the prospective employer. To be
considered for a Special Worker Visa, an applicant must present
the consular officer with a form I-797A Notice of Approval or
the Consulate must be in receipt of an approved Form I-129
notification from the Immigration and Naturalization Service in
the United States. It should be noted that an approved petition
does not guarantee that an applicant will receive a visa if they
do not otherwise qualify. Applicants for these type of work
visas should bring additional documentation to demonstrate that
they are qualified for the work which s/he will be performing.
As there are certain countries from which
travelers do not qualify for immediate transit without visa under
U.S. immigration laws, it is recommended that before traveling,
individuals consult with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in
Managua or directly with the airline. Nicaraguan citizens are
eligible to use the transit without visa (TWOV) system.
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5. Persons in Immediate transit without visa (TWOV)
Nicaraguans and third countries nationals (excepts
visa waiver nationals) are not eligible to transit without visa.
6.1. I have a valid visa, but it is in my expired passport.
May I still travel with the visa?
You may travel with both passports.
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6.2. How do I transfer or renew my B1/B2 visa?
To apply for a visa, visa renewal or visa
transfer to new passport:
-
Applicants must FULLY complete and sign the
visa application form DS-156 and DS-157 supplemental
nonimmigrant visa application (for men between 16 and 45 years
old only).
-
Attach one recent photo size 2”x2” and white
background taken within the last six months.
-
Applicant must pay USD 100.00 (one hundred
dollars) of application fee at any branch of BANCENTRO; the bank
receipt will show you the date and time to apply for the visa.
Upon arrival at the Consulate submit visa application, receipt,
photo, prior visa in passport, and valid current passport.
-
It is strongly recommended that an applicant
bring all his/her passports since the last visa issuance.
DROP BOX SYSTEM IS NOT LONGER AVAILABLE FOR
APPLICANTS.
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6.3. For how long must my passport be valid to receive a visa?
Passports must be valid on the date of application.
6.4. What effect does my association
with a citizen of the United States have on my application for a visa?
An individual can be invited by a citizen of
the United States. However, every applicant must qualify for the
visa on their own individual merits. Letters of support by an
organization or individual may be submitted, however, the
applicant himself (or herself) must overcome the presumption of
immigrant intent.
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6.5. My application for a visa was denied.
How long do I have to wait to apply again for a visa?
Individuals that are denied a visa can
reapply anytime, provided they pay the US$100.00 and present
themselves on the day and time of the interview appointment
reflected on the bank slip. In other words, there is no “waiting
period” for applicant to reapply.
6.6. My application was denied. Is the
US$100.00 interview fee refunded?
No, is not refundable. The fee covers the
administrative costs of providing services to the public.
6.7. I lost my passport with my valid
U.S. visa. What do I need to present to have my visa replaced?
Persons that have lost their passport with a valid visa have
to present themselves for a personal interview to have the visa
replaced. They should bring the following documents:
- A copy of the police report explaining the loss or theft of
the passport.
- A "Movimiento Migratorio", is a document issued by the
Nicaraguan immigration authorities.
- A letter explaining the situation.
- A photocopy of the visa if available.
- All the requirements indicated on "What do I need to do to
apply for a visa".
6.8. I am a foreigner living in Nicaragua
without legal residency. Can I apply for a visa to the United States here?
Individuals who are not residents of
Nicaragua should apply for a visa to the United States in their
country of residency due to the difficulty in demonstrating
their ties to their home country when outside of that country.
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6.9. How can I contact the Consular Section?
From the United States:
Mailing address:
American Embassy
Unit 2710, Box 10
APO AA 34021
Tel: 011 (505) 268-0123
Fax: 011- (505)-266-9943
within Nicaragua:
P.O. address:
Apdo. Postal 327
Managua, Nicaragua
Physical address:
Kilometro 4 1/2 Carretera Sur
Managua, Nicaragua
E-Mail: Consularsect@amemb.org.ni
Visa information:
http://www.usembassy.state.gov/managua
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