Who from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, Needs a Nonimmigrant Visa to Enter the United States Temporarily?

Canada
Mexico
Bermuda
How to Apply for a Visa at a Border Post if you are a Third Country National Present in the United States or Visiting Canada
Appointments are Required
Who May Not Apply for a Visa at a Border Post?
Hours of Operation
Additional Information
Exclusion from Revalidation of a Nonimmigrant Visa

Canada

Citizens of Canada traveling to the U.S. do not require a nonimmigrant visa, except for the purposes as described below.

Foreign government officials (A), officials and employees of international organizations (G) and NATO officials, representatives and employees assigned to the U.S. as needed to facilitate their travel;

• treaty traders (E-1);
• treaty investors (E-2);
• fiance/es (K-1);
• children of fiancées (K-2);
• U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3);
• children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above;
• spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process.
• children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above.

Permanent residents (aka landed immigrants) of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the visa waiver program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less under that program.

Mexico

Citizens and permanent residents of Mexico generally must have a nonimmigrant visa or Border Crossing Card (also known as a "Laser Visa"). The Border Crossing Card, Form DSP-150 is a biometric, machine readable, visitor B1-B2 visa/Border Crossing Card that may be used to enter the U.S. from within the Western Hemisphere. Select Border Crossing Card to learn more about the requirements for this card.

Select U.S. Embassy/Consulate to go to Consular Sections in Canada and Mexico for more information about getting your nonimmigrant visa.

Also to learn more about U.S. entry requirements from Canada and Mexico, select Foreign Visitors Entering the U.S. from Canada or Mexico to visit the DHS U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

Bermuda

Citizens of the British Overseas Territories of Bermuda do not require a visa unless they have a criminal ineligibility, or have previously violated the terms of their immigration status in the United States. Additionally, Citizens of the Overseas Territories of Bermuda require nonimmigrant visas when traveling to the U.S. for these purposes:

Foreign government officials (A), and officials and employees of international organizations (G);

• fiance/es (K-1);
• children of fiancées (K-2);
• U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3);
• children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above;
• spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process.
• children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above.

Appointments are Required

Any third country national (TCN)* present in the United States and visitors present in Canada who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at any of our border posts in Canada or Mexico must make an appointment for an interview. U.S. Consular offices are located in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Ciudad Juarez, Matamoros, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana.

* Please note that Border Posts can no longer accept applications from non-resident TCNs who are nationals of the six countries currently designated as state sponsors of terrorism. For more information, please see the Notice: Special Visa Processing Procedures Pursuant to Section 306 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002.

Appointments by Telephone: If you are in the United States and you wish to schedule an appointment, you should call 1-900-443-3131; in Canada you should call 1-900-451-2778. Callers from the United States or Canada wishing to charge the cost of the call to a credit card may schedule an appointment by calling 1-888-840-0032. Unlike the 1-900 numbers, which are blocked from most hotel, office or pay telephones, the credit card line can be accessed from virtually any telephone. The appointment system requires a touch-tone phone; a push-button rotary phone will not work.

Appointments by Internet: Applicants can book appointments via the Internet at http://www.nvars.com. Each appointment costs $15.00 Canadian, which will be charged to a major credit card. Applicants are advised to have their credit card information handy.

After your appointment is scheduled, you will be mailed an information packet for the post where you will be applying. Please DO NOT call an individual post directly to request an appointment. They can only be scheduled by calling the appropriate 1-900 or 1-888 telephone number or by using the Internet.

Who May Not Apply for a Visa at a Border Post

Individuals who have been out of status in the United States because they violated the terms of their visa or overstayed the validity indicated on their I-94 are not eligible to apply at a border post. In other words, if you have remained in the U.S. longer than the period authorized by the immigration officer when you entered the U.S. in any visa category, you must apply in the country of your nationality or legal permanent residence. If you are not certain about your status, check with the nearest U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security office.

Border posts routinely do not accept applications for "E" visas from third country national applicants who are not resident in their consular districts.

Hours of Operation

Operators are available from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. Eastern Time. Callers may have difficulty getting through if they call during the peak times of 7 A.M., 11 A.M., 2 P.M., 4:30 P.M. and 7 P.M. Eastern Time. Appointments for border posts outside the Eastern Time Zone can only be made after it is 7 A.M. in the post's time zone. The Internet system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Additional Information

Applicants who are unable to attend their scheduled appointments must cancel them two full working days prior to the appointment by calling toll-free to 1-888-611-6676.

Visa applicants should take their appointment letters to the interview. They may be admitted without one, but absence of the letter could cause delays.

Certain nationalities require visas from Canadian authorities in order to enter Canada.

Individuals who are already in the U.S. and remain in legal status are encouraged to apply at non-border posts in conjunction with foreign travel for business or pleasure. Those who plan to visit Canada, Mexico or, in the cases of students and exchange visitors, adjacent islands, may re-enter the U.S. within thirty days on expired visas as long as they possess a valid I-94 form unless they are excluded from automatic revalidation, as noted below.

Exclusion from Automatic Revalidation of a Nonimmigrant Visa

The U.S. Government has undertaken a variety of efforts since September 11 to enhance border security. Anyone who has applied for and been refused visa issuance at a border post is prohibited from re-admission to the United States in the same visa category, even though they are in possession of a valid I-94 form. Aliens who are citizens of countries on the State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism are prohibited from re-entering the U.S. using solely an I-94 form if their visa has expired.

Prior to April 1, 2002 individuals whose visas had expired but whose I-94 forms remained valid were allowed to re-enter the U.S. without obtaining a new visa. The regulation in effect at that time made limited distinctions among citizens of various nationalities, and allowed aliens who applied for and were denied a new visa nonetheless to re-enter the United States. The new regulation requires aliens from state sponsors of terrorism to obtain a new visa (and thus go through a new set of interviews, computer checks, etc.) rather than re-enter the U.S. using solely their I-94 form.

The exclusion from automatic revalidation applies to aliens who attempt to re-enter the United States on or after April 1, 2002, regardless of whether their application for a visa was filed prior to that date.

October 2004