When you arrive at the Embassy, you will go through a series of security checks. Please do not bring any items other than those necessary for your application. Do not bring any large bags or backpacks with you when you come for your appointment. Also please be aware that food and cell phones are not permitted inside the Embassy.
After your security checks, please come to the visa section and take a NON-IMMIGRANT VISA queue number. When your number is called, give your documents to the clerk, and then have a seat again. After your application is entered into our database, you will be called again for your interview.
If your visa is approved, you will be asked to come back and pick up your passport and visa two working days after the interview. Passport collection hours are 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on business days. If your visa application is not approved, your passport will be returned to you at the end of the interview.
Many travel agents will apply for your U.S. visa for you as part of their routine service; they may charge a fee in addition to the visa application fee. If your agent cannot submit the visa application on your behalf, please refer to the list below.
After you submit your passport and application materials, your travel agency will forward them to the Embassy, where we will enter your data into our computer system. The agency will notify you to come in for your interview. Most travel agents have a courier deliver and pick up passports from the Embassy on a daily basis.
Once you have received your appointment confirmation, you may come at the scheduled time for your interview.
In most cases, you will find out whether your application is approved at the time of the interview. If your application is approved, our normal procedure is to return your passport and visa to your travel agency in two business days. If your application is not approved, your passport and documents will be returned to you at the end of the interview.
These agencies have agreed to process visa applications at the American Embassy regardless of whether you are using their other services:
This section lists the REQUIRED documents that ALL non-immigrant visa applicants must provide.
In addition to these documents, there may also be other documents that are required for the specific visa category for which you are applying. Please review the information elsewhere on the website pertaining to your visa category to make sure that you have all of the required documents. The sections on individual visa categories also contain suggestions for optional supplemental documentation.
1. Passport
Your passport needs to be valid for travel to the United States and must have an expiration date at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States. If more than one person is included in the passport, each person desiring a visa must make an application.
2. Form DS-156 - also known as the Electronic Visa Application Form or EVAF (3 pages)
All travelers, including children endorsed in a parent’s passport, must submit an application form (DS-156) and photograph (see below for photo specifications). Please be sure to answer all questions on BOTH sides of the form, and don’t forget to SIGN and DATE it at the appropriate place on the back. Parents should sign for minor children.
The Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) may be completed here. Please make sure to gather all necessary information before you begin to fill out the form, as you cannot save it on your computer for completing in stages. Once the application is complete, print and sign it and submit it along with the rest of your materials.
3. DS-157 Supplemental Non-Immigrant Visa Application (1 page)
All men aged 16-45 must complete this form in addition to the DS-156. Both the DS-156 and DS-157 are available at here.
Originals vs. Copies and What Not to Submit:
Your application is not complete without your actual passport (no photocopies, please), and we will need originals of all the official U.S. application forms mentioned above. Aside from these, copies are fine—if you are submitting bank or tax documents, for example, you can use either originals or photocopies when you first submit your application materials. When you come in for your interview, however, please bring along the originals. Also, please check through your materials before you submit them to your travel agency and make sure that there are no credit cards, frequent flyer cards or official ID cards; we handle a large volume of cases, and these items can easily fall out.
Photograph Specifications:
Your photo must have been taken within the last six months and must measure 2 inches x 2 inches (5cm x 5cm), with the face looking forward, against a white or off-white background, on photo paper. If your photo does not meet these specifications, you will be asked to provide a new one before your application can be processed.
The Embassy has installed a photo booth which produces photos of the correct size and appearance; the charge to get photos from this machine is S$10 (Singapore currency, EXACT CHANGE ONLY).
What Fees Do I Have To Pay?
There are two different fees for a visa application:
- A non-refundable application fee (click here for fee amount);
- An issuance fee depending on your nationality (the issuance fee is paid only if your visa is approved).
There are no issuance fees for tourist/business (B1/B2) or student (F1) visas for Singaporeans, Chinese, Indonesians, Malaysians, or Filipinos. For other nationalities and additional details, please check here. Please note that the issuance fee, as well as the maximum validity (or expiration date) of the visa, is determined by "reciprocity" - the fees charged and and duration granted by your country to U.S. citizens for the same type of visa.
Some travel agents may also charge a processing fee of approximately S$20.
Interviews: Who Needs Them?
All applicants, between the ages of 14 to 79, must appear in person for an interview. Parents of children below age 14 are required to appear on behalf of their children.
Can I Apply For a Visa For a Family Member Who Is Not In Singapore?
NO. All applicants (even children) must be physically present in Singapore to apply for a visa here. We cannot approve a visa for someone who is not in Singapore at the time of application.
How Long Will The Process Take?
The application process normally takes five to seven working days. In most cases, applications will be adjudicated on the day of the interview, and the passport will be ready for collection in two business days.
Applicants who will be in Singapore only temporarily are advised to use theweb based appointment system to schedule a visa interview appointment to take place immediately upon arrival.
Longer Processing Time For Some Cases
Because additional administrative processing is sometimes required after the interview takes place, not all visa applications can be processed within the normal time frame of 5-7 working days. Such processing is not optional and cannot be waived.
If anyone on your staff requires a nonimmigrant visa to travel to the United States, he or she is strongly encouraged to apply at the earliest possible date, preferably 60 days ahead of the anticipated travel. For cases that do require further administrative processing after the interview, we have noted a significant decrease in processing time since October 2003; however, you should be advised that long delays do occasionally still occur and that it is impossible to tell in advance how long the processing for an individual case might take. If you or your employee foresee a trip to the United States for training or consultations, you should apply as soon as your company can identify a reasonable business need for such travel. Timely submission of an application does not guarantee that a visa will be issued, but it may ensure that the process for applying for a visa will be completed in time to allow the applicant to travel if he or she does qualify for the visa.
This only affects visitors who require individual visas for their travel. Singaporeans going to the United States for short business or leisure trips and traveling under the Visa Waiver Program are not affected.
General Information
Non-Immigrant Visas
General Information
How to Apply
Visa Application Fee
Visa Types
FAQs
Student Visas
Domestic Employee Visas (B1)
Tourist/Business Visas (B1/B2)
Exchange Visitor Visas (J)
Temporary Worker Visas (H)
USSFTA Visas (H1B1)
Intracompany Transferee Visas (L)
Treaty Trader/Investor Visas (E)
Media Representative Visas (I)
Transit Travelers Visas (C1)
Other Visas
