How to Apply

Before you can apply for any of the Temporary Employment Visa categories, your prospective employer in the U.S. must have filed a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and this petition must have been approved by USCIS. Visit the USCIS Working in the U.S. webpage for more information on this process.

An approved petition does not guarantee that you will receive a visa. Do not make final travel plans until your visa is approved and issued.

After your petition has been approved, you must follow the steps below to apply for your visa.

Be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Making errors in your application or failing to provide all the required documentation may result in delays in processing your application.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States, unless exempt by country-specific agreements. At this time, Nigerien passports are NOT exempt from this requirement.

Your passport must also have at least one full blank page where a visa may be placed.

 

  • Complete the online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160. Print and save the confirmation sheet.
  • Complete the online Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-157 (PDF 1.5 MB), available here. Print and save the completed form.
  • Complete the online Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant, Form DS-158 (PDF 48 KB), available here. Print and save the completed form.

You will need to bring all of these papers when you come to the embassy for your visa interview.

Important! Be careful to complete the forms correctly and accurately.

Please note that you must answer every question on the application forms. If the answer to a question is “none,” please enter “none.” Do not leave any answers blank.

Incomplete or incorrect forms may result in delays in processing visa applications.

Only a passport, a DS-160 confirmation page, an approved petition (Form I-129), Form DS-157, Form DS-158, and a 2 inch by 2 inch (5 cm x 5 cm) color photo not older than 6 months (click here for more detailed photo requirements) are required for the visa interview. However, additional documents may be requested during your interview to establish if you are qualified to receive a visa. For example, additional requested documents may include, but are not limited to, evidence of:

  • The purpose of your trip;
  • Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or;
  • Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.

 

To schedule an appointment for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview, please consult the Embassy’s online NIV Appointment System. Please have your DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form Confirmation Number handy. It is located on your DS-160 confirmation page, in bold print.

Bring the completed DS-160 confirmation sheet, Form I-129, Form DS-157, Form DS-158, a 2 inch by 2 inch (5 cm x 5 cm) color photo not older than 6 months (click here for more detailed photo requirements), and a valid passport with you to your scheduled interview appointment. Do not submit any additional supporting documents until the consular officer requests them.

Due to our security regulations, you will also need a second photo ID (not your passport) to enter the Embassy.

Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. They are usually taken just before your interview, but this may vary in some circumstances.

On the day of your interview you must pay a nonrefundable visa application fees. The fee for most nonimmigrant visas that require a petition is $190 or 133,000 XOF (West African CFA franc) as of July 2022. The fee is payable in U.S. dollars or in CFA.

For some visa classes and nationalities, additional issuance fees may apply. Current information on all types of non-immigrant visa fees can be found here.

During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.

 

If you are issued the visa, the consular officer will give you a date and time to return to collect your passport and visa.