Nonimmigrant Visa Application Procedures

ALL APPLICANTS, REGARDLESS OF AGE (excluding those applying for diplomatic visas), ARE REQUIRED TO APPEAR AT THE EMBASSY FOR AN INTERVIEW.

The consular section at U.S. Embassy Bangkok provides visa services for citizens and residents of Thailand.  If you live in Chiang Mai or its surrounds, you may interview for nonimmigrant visas in Chiang Mai. 

The Embassy strongly encourages intending travelers to apply for visas well in advance of their proposed travel, and always to refrain from making irrevocable travel plans until they have received their passports with visas. Please note that there are not visa appointments on Thai and U.S. holidays. 

For information regarding medical emergencies and expedited appointment requests, please go to the Expedited Visa Appointments page.

APPLICATION PROCESS

STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR VISA CATEGORY

The type of visa you will need and the requirements to apply for that visa depend primarily on your purpose of travel to the United States. Click on the type of visa below to learn more about the requirements for that visa class.

• A & G: Representatives of foreign governments
  • A-3 and G-5: Personal/Domestic Employee of representatives of foreign governments
    • New Domestic Worker Visa Eligibility Requirements for personal workers, attendants and other domestic workers of mission personnel who are in the United States in nonimmigrant A3 or G5 visa status, please click here.
• B-1/B-2: The visitor visa, which is issued to aliens for several purposes:
  • B-2: For tourism, visit to friends and relatives, medical treatment, and amateur/unpaid participants in cultural or sports events 
  • B-1: For general business purposes (meetings, short-term training, etc)
  • B-1: For personal/domestic employees of B, E, F, H, I, J, L, O, P, and Q visa holders and U.S. citizens temporarily assigned to the United States
  • B-1/OCS: For crewmembers working on Outer Continental Shelf (B-1/OCS) and yachts (B-1)
• C-1: People transiting through the U.S.
• C-1/D: Crewmembers (Airlines and Ships)
• E: Treaty Traders (E-1) and Treaty Investors (E-2)
• F: Students in academic or language programs
• H: Temporary workers and trainees, including H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, and H-4
• I: Journalists and members of the media
• J: Exchange visitors
• K: Fiancé(e)/spouse of a U.S. citizen
• L: Intra-company transferees, including L-1 and L-2
• M: Students in vocational or other non-academic programs
• O: Temporary workers of extraordinary ability
• P: Athletes and entertainers
• Q: Cultural exchange visitors
• R: Religious workers
• TD: NAFTA Derivative

For Information for B-1 Domestic Employee, A-3, G-5, H, J, and NATO-7 visa applicants about Legal Rights and Protections, please click here.

STEP 2: COMPLETE THE DS-160 VISA APPLICATION FORM

All individuals applying for non-immigrant visas -- excluding K1-4 fiancé(e) visa categories -- are required to submit the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application.

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), Applicant’s Passport Information (the passport used in filling out the form must be the same passport presented on the day of the interview), Other Names (for married female applicants, type your complete maiden name), Purpose of Trip (if the answer falls under “Other,” specify the purpose of travel in the blank provided), Primary Occupation (if the answer falls under “Other,” specify the occupation in the blank provided), Contact Person and Contact Address in the United States, Father’s Complete Name, and Mother’s Complete Maiden Name.

A number of resources are available to assist applicants in completing the DS-160 application. U.S. Embassy Bangkok’s detailed guide on completing the DS-160 application, the U.S. Department of State’s Frequently Asked Questions for the DS-160, and a video guide are all available.

STEP 3: GATHER THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

1) DS-160 CONFIRMATION PAGE - Applicants are required to bring the DS-160 confirmation page to their interviews.

2) APPLICATION FEE (MRV) – Bring a copy the MRV receipt to the interview (Step 6).

3) 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.  If your prior visa was lost or stolen, and is still valid, you must bring a police report when you apply for a new visa. 

4) PHOTO – Applicants for a U.S. visa must upload a digital photo to the DS-160 application form.  The following minimum requirements must be met or your application cannot be processed. The photograph:

• Must not be older than six months.
• Must have a white background.
• Must be in full face view, with the visa applicant facing the camera directly.
• Must be in Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG, or .jpg) format, between 600x600 pixels and 1200x1200 pixels.
• Must have a file size less than or equal to 240 kilobytes.
• Must not be digitally altered.

Please review the detailed photo requirements found at this link for further guidance on image composition. If your photo does not meet the composition requirements, we may be unable to process your application.

We recommend that applicants also bring one hard copy of their photo to the interview.

5) 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.

6) PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP – (if applying with/for dependent/s)

• Original marriage certificate
• Original birth certificate

7) NAME CHANGE DOCUMENTS – Provide original name change documents if current names do not match those found in the legal documents. 

8) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS – Additional requirements are based on the visa class that a person is applying for. Please look at the Types of Visas page and view the details for each visa class.

STEP 4: PURCHASE A PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN)

You must purchase a personal identification number (PIN) in order to access the visa information and nonimmigrant visa appointment services.  There are two types of PINs ("Online" PIN and "Call Center" PIN) and three ways to purchase a PIN.

1) ONLINE – Purchase an "Online" PIN at https://thailand.us-visaservices.com/Forms/DetermineTCN.aspx.  You must use a credit card to purchase a PIN online.  The "Online" PIN costs US $12 and allows you unlimited access to the online appointment system 24 hours a day. For detailed information on how to purchase and use a PIN, please consult the How to Purchase and PIN instruction guide. 

2) CALL CENTER – Call 001-800-13-202-2457 to use a credit card to purchase a "Call Center" PIN.  The "Call Center" PIN costs US $20 and allows you to make up to 3 calls to schedule or change your appointment.  The Call Center accepts calls during office hours only - Monday thru Friday from 08.00 to 17.00 (except Thai and U.S. holidays). 

3) THAILAND POST OFFICES – Visit a participating post office to purchase either a "Online" PIN or a "Call Center" PIN.  Those who purchase a PIN at a Thailand Post Office may also choose to pay the Visa Application Fee (Step 6) at the same time.  

Details Regarding PINS: 

Both "Online" PINs and "Call Center" PINs expire 90 days after purchase date or 10 days after your scheduled appointment. 

PINs and immediate family members:

One PIN can be purchased to schedule the main applicant and up to 4 immediate family members living in the same household, if the appointments are booked at the same time.  Immediate family members include: parents, spouses, siblings and children.

STEP 5: SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW

Now that you have a PIN, you can schedule an interview.  In Thailand, nonimmigrant visa interviews are conducted by appointment only.  To make an appointment for a nonimmigrant visa, visit http://thailand.us-visaservices.com/ or contact the Visa Call Center at 001-800-13-202-2457. The call center is open Monday thru Friday from 08.00 to 17.00 and closed on Thai and U.S. holidays.

STEP 6: PAY THE APPLICATION FEE (MAY COMPLETE WITH STEP 4 IF DESIRED)

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.  

There is one way to pay the visa application MRV fee.  The MRV visa application fee can be paid at any one of over 250 designated Thai Post offices nationwide. Remember to save the receipt and bring it with you on the day of your visa interview.

For some types of visas, an extra issuance fee will need to be paid at the U.S. Embassy Consular Section once the visa is granted. For more information on the types of visas that require an extra issuance fee, please consult the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Visa Reciprocity Table for Thailand.

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)
• NATO and NATO-7
• Transit to and from the United Nations Headquarters District (C2)
• Transit of Foreign Government Officials and Immediate Family (C3)
• Applicants for J visas participating in official U.S. government-sponsored educational and cultural exchanges
• Replacement machine-readable visa when the original visa was not properly affixed or needs to be reissued through no fault of the applicant.

Each visa application fee applies to a single visa classification/application. If an applicant wishes to apply for more than one visa at the same interview, payment for each visa class must be made.

Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. No exceptions will be made to this rule.  It is valid for one year after the date of actual payment; the interview must fall within the one-year validity.

STEP 7: GO FOR THE INTERVIEW

All applicants must appear at the Embassy for the interview, except government officials traveling on official business and applying for A1, A2, G1, G2, or G4 visas.  Applicants are allowed to entry according to their visa appointment times.  There is no need to arrive more than 30 minutes prior to the appointment time.  

Please note that only individuals applying for a visa are allowed to enter the Embassy. Visa applicants may not bring family members, colleagues, or friends with them, even if those individuals are American citizens.  During the interview process, each applicant must present his or her case individually. Applicants should be prepared to talk about their ties and their travel plans without assistance from other family members or legal representation. The only applicants who may be accompanied are children under the age of 16 and applicants with disabilities, who may be accompanied under certain circumstances.

On the day of your appointment, please make sure you have all the required documents (Step 3).

Upon arrival, prepare to pass through the security checkpoint. Electronic devices, including cellular phones, are not permitted within the consular section, and must be checked at the entrance. Backpacks, suitcases, attaché cases, and strollers are also not allowed. 

Your visit may last up to a few hours. You may wish to bring materials to entertain yourself and your children. 

To begin, you will submit your application, passport, and supporting documents. Next, a staff member will take your finger-scans and then a consular officer will interview you to evaluate your application to determine whether you are qualified for the visa.  

STEP 8: IF ISSUED A VISA

A consular officer will inform the applicant at the conclusion of the interview whether he/she qualifies for a U.S. visa.  If your visa is approved, you will be asked to purchase an envelope at the Thailand Post counter in the waiting area for the return of your passport.  You may choose to have your passport returned to:

1. An address of your choice (home, office, relative's house)
2. The Rong Meuang central post office to pick up your passport in person.  

For more information about the visa process, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.