New DS-160 Online Visa Application Form Requirement Effective May 24, 2010

Effective May 24, 2010, all nonimmigrant visa applicants will be REQUIRED to complete and
submit an online visa application form known as the DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic
Application. The DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application will replace the current
nonimmigrant visa paper application, Forms DS-156/157/158, and other related paper
forms.

With demand for U.S. visas continuing to increase worldwide, the U.S. State Department is
committed to using new technologies to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the visa
application process. The web-based nonimmigrant visa application uses new technologies
and replaces existing forms to better serve our visa applicants.

For visa applicants with a visa interview scheduled before May 24, 2010, the DS-
156/157/158 and related paper forms will continue to be accepted. Visa applicants with a
visa interview scheduled on May 24, 2010, or after MUST complete the DS-160 Online
Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application. As DS-157 forms will no longer be accepted after
this date, the MRV fee payment slip (blue paper) from the bank must be attached to the
DS-160 confirmation page when an applicant appears for a visa interview. Applicants can
access the DS-160 from the Consular Electronic Application Center website or from the link on
the U.S. Embassy website in Manila.

In order to avoid delays in processing visa applications, visa applicants or their

representatives must ensure that the following information is correctly provided:

• Applicant’s complete name (required format is Surname, First name(s), Middle

Name(s))
• Applicant’s passport information (the passport used in filling out the form must
be the same passport presented on the day of interview)
• Other Name(s) (for married female applicants, type your complete maiden name)
• Purpose of Trip to the U.S. (if the answer falls under “Other,” it is a requirement
to specify the purpose of travel in the blank provided)
• Primary Occupation (if the answer falls under “Other,” it is a requirement to
specify the occupation in the blank provided)
• Contact Person and Contact Address in the United States
• Father’s Complete Name (required format is Surname, First name(s), Middle
Name(s))
• Mother’s Complete Maiden Name (required format is Surname, First name(s),
Middle Name(s))

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for instructions about the DS-160. If you have
a question about filling out the online DS-160 that is not answered in the FAQs, please send
us an e-mail.

The only change we are implementing at the current time is the use of the DS-160 in lieu of
the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF). All other visa application procedures
remain the same.

Nonimmigrant Visa Application Procedures

If you intend to apply for a nonimmigrant visa to the United States, we encourage you to
first visit our About Nonimmigrant Visas page.

ALL APPLICANTS, REGARDLESS OF AGE (excluding those applying for diplomatic

visas), ARE REQUIRED TO APPEAR AT THE EMBASSY FOR AN INTERVIEW.

Minor (unmarried 20 years old and below) nonimmigrant visa applicants are required to
appear with at least one parent for the interview. If the minor is an orphan or if both
parents are outside of the Philippines, then a legal guardian must be present during the
interview.

STEP 1: REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

All basic documentary requirements must be ready BEFORE an appointment can be made.
Additional documents may be required, so please read the information below carefully.

All documents must be original. Photocopies will not be accepted, unless specified. The
Nonimmigrant Visa Unit does not accept documents BEFORE the interview except forTreaty
Trader (E1) and Treaty Investor (E2) visa applications. Any documents received will not be
returned and will be destroyed (except the passport).

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

1. DS-160 ONLINE NONIMMIGRANT VISA ELECTRONIC APPLICATION – All

applicants must complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic
Application. Applicants can access the DS-160 from the Consular Electronic Application
Center website.

In order to avoid delays in processing visa applications, visa applicants or their

representatives must ensure that the following information is correctly provided:

o Applicant’s complete name (required format is Surname, First name(s),

Middle Name(s))
o Applicant’s passport information (the passport used in filling out the form
must be the same passport presented on the day of interview)
o Other Name(s) (for married female applicants, type your complete maiden
name)
o Purpose of Trip to the U.S. (if the answer falls under “Other,” it is a
requirement to specify the purpose of travel in the blank provided)
o Primary Occupation (if the answer falls under “Other,” it is a requirement to
specify the occupation in the blank provided)
o Contact Person and Contact Address in the United States
o Father’s Complete Name (required format is Surname, First name(s),
Middle Name(s))
o Mother’s Complete Maiden Name (required format is Surname, First
name(s), Middle Name(s))

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for instructions about the DS-160. If
you have a question about filling out the online DS-160 that is not answered in the
FAQs, please send us an e-mail.
 2. PASSPORT – Signed passports must be valid for at least six months from the date
of intended departure from the United States. The passport must be in good
condition, i.e., photo lamination is undamaged, and all passport pages are intact.

Applicants must also present all previously issued passports or notarized affidavits of
loss, if applicable.

Taiwanese passport holders who do not have Taiwan personal identification numbers
listed above the date of birth on the biographic data page in their passports must
present their original Philippine residency permit.

3. PHOTO – One 2” x 2” standard, full-frontal face position color photo against a white
background taken within the last six (6) months is required.

Both ears must show in the photo. Please click here for additional information on
photo specifications.

4. EXTENSION OF STAY/CHANGE OF STATUS – Please bring copies of U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approvals of extension of stay or
change of status, if applicable.

5. PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP (if applying with/for dependent/s)

o Original marriage certificate printed on Philippine National Statistics Office
security paper, if applicable (if applying with a spouse and/or child)
o Original birth certificate printed on Philippine National Statistics Office security
paper (for dependent/s)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Additional requirements are based on the visa class that a person is applying for. Please
look at the Types of Visaspage and view the details for each visa class.

STEP 2: SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT

There are two ways to book an interview appointment: through the Embassy call center or
through the VisaPoint™ system.

1. Scheduling an appointment through the Embassy call center

These telephone appointment systems are available Monday through Friday from
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Philippine time, except on Philippine holidays.

Calls made to this number cost 53 Philippine Pesos per minute, plus applicable provincial
1-909-101-7878 charges. This number is only for subscribers of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT)
for callers from within the Philippines Company touchtone landlines with national/international distance dialing features.
Or
 When calling this number, please have a credit card (either Visa or MasterCard). The expiration
date and security code are required. Please have the postal code of the billing address of the
1-888-877-9888 credit card ready
for callers from within the United States
(mainland only) The card will be charged $18 per transaction. After the card is approved, a nonrefundable
personal identification number (PIN) will be given. The PIN will allow the caller to speak to an
operator three times (including the initial call) at no charge.

2.

When booking an appointment, the caller must have both basic and additional
documentary requirements handy. All applicants are required to provide an email
address where the Appointment Confirmation Receipt will be sent.

3. Scheduling an appointment online

VisaPoint ™ is a web-based information and appointment system available in both

English and Tagalog that allows applicants to schedule an appointment 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week and to see all available dates and times on the computer screen.

Please click here to learn more about VisaPoint ™.

Please click here to start using VisaPoint ™.

Please click here to learn about appointment availability.

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STEP 3: PAYMENT OF APPLICATION FEE

Nonimmigrant visa applicants must pay the machine-readable visa application fee shown on
the schedules below. The fee is based on the purpose of the trip or visa category.

Effective June 4, 2010, the fees are as follows:

$140 B1/B2, C1/D, F, J, and all other NIV categories not listed below
(Visitor/Transit/Student)
$150 H, L, O, P, Q, and R (Temporary Worker)
$350 K (Fiancée)
$390 E (Investor/Trader)

If an applicant paid a visa fee of $131 but has an appointment after June 4:

All applicants with an interview date after June 4 must pay the full MRV fee, even if they
paid at the former rate of $131. The Embassy requests that visa applicants who paid the
MRV fee of $131 for an appointment scheduled after June 4 pay for the difference in fees at
the same bank branch where they made the initial $131 payment. For instance, if an
applicant made a visa interview appointment for a tourist visa for Friday,June 4, and paid
the former MRV fee of $131, the applicant will need to pay the difference of $9 before
arriving at the Embassy on the appointment date. Applicants for other visa categories will
need to pay the appropriate incremental fee difference. Applicants will need to present both
blue MRV fee receipts when arriving at the Embassy (in this example, receipts for $131 and
$9). Applicants will not be allowed to enter the Embassy for their interview unless
the full MRV fee has been paid.

The MRV fee can only be paid at any branch of BDO and Citi’s branches in Makati,
Greenhills, Libis, Binondo, Alabang, and Cebu. The fee must be paid in Philippine currency
at the U.S. government exchange rate prevailing on the day of payment. Applicants are
required to present their DS-160 Confirmation Page and Appointment
Confirmation Receipt to the bank teller.

Upon payment of the MRV application fee, the bank will issue two copies of the bill
payment slip. The copy on blue paper is the “U.S. Embassy copy.” On the day of the
interview, the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit will accept only the “U.S. Embassy copy” as proof of
payment of the MRV application fee. The MRV fee payment slip (U.S. Embassy copy) must
be attached to the DS-160 confirmation page when an applicant appears for a visa
interview. If the “U.S. Embassy copy” of the bills payment slip is lost, the applicant will need
to pay a new MRV fee.

The following individuals and visa classifications are exempt from paying the machine-
readable visa application fee:

• Diplomatic (A1, A2)

• Official (G1, G2, G3, G4)
• Personal Employees of A and G visa holders (A3, G5)
• Transit to and from the United Nations Headquarters District (C2)
• Transit of Foreign Government Officials and Immediate Family (C3)
• Certain U.S. Government-sponsored exchange visitors (J)
• NATO and NATO-7
• Diplomatic passport holders, irrespective of whether the travel is official or non-
official

A fee applies to only one visa classification/application. If an applicant wishes to apply for
more than one visa simultaneously, corresponding payment per visa class must be made.

Visa application fees are nonrefundable. No exceptions will be made to this rule. The fee is
transferable, meaning that one person can pay the fee on behalf of another person. It is
valid for one year after the date of actual payment; the interview must fall within the one-
year validity.

STEP 4: GO FOR THE INTERVIEW

After check-in at the entry gate, applicants will proceed to the Pavilion where they will
submit their documents for data entry. Each applicant, or group, will receive a number.
When their numbers are called, applicants proceed to the appropriate window for finger
scanning. After finger scanning, documents and passport will be returned to applicants for
presentation to the interviewing officer later.

Please note: Applicants should present only the DS-160 confirmation page and
passport to the interviewing officer. If additional documents are required, the
officer will ask for them.
Embassy personnel are available to provide assistance at each stage.

• The U.S. Embassy in Manila does not pre-qualify an applicant. Only an adjudicating
consular officer at the time of the interview can determine whether an applicant is
eligible for a nonimmigrant visa.
• All ten fingers of a visa applicant will be electronically scanned in an inkless process
at the beginning of the visa interview. The electronic data from the fingerprints will
be stored in a database. This information will be available to the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security immigration officers at ports of entry in the United States as part
of the US-VISIT Program. The biometric identifier will be checked at the port of entry
in the United States to verify that the person presenting the visa is the same person
to whom the visa was issued.
• Non-compliance with the requirements mentioned above will result in the non-
processing of the visa application.
• Applicants who require interpreters must inform the interviewing officer on the day
of their interview. The Embassy will provide an interpreter. There is no need to bring
a relative or a friend to act as an interpreter.

STEP 5: IF ISSUED A VISA

Upon the conclusion of the interview, the applicant will be advised whether he or she
qualifies for the visa. Please note that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United
States. Visa holders are subject to inspection at the port of entry by officials of the
Department of Homeland Security who have the authority to deny admission.

Please click here for information about visa processing times.

For information on visa release, please visit the If Visa Is Issued page.

Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for more information.