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Nonimmigrant Visas

General Information

Opening Hours

Arrival-Departure Record (I-94)

Our Service Commitment

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Voluntary Departure/ Bond Returns

How to Read Your Visa

Application Process

Renewal of Lost, Expired, or Mutilated Visas

What to Expect

Additional processing

Visa Refusals

Visa Types

Business/Tourist

Student/Exchange

Work

Diplomatic/Official(A/C3/G)

Petition-based (H/L/O/P/Q)

Specialty Position E-3

FAQ

Immigrant Visas

American Citizen Services

How to Apply

IMPORTANT NOTE: All applicants with appointments after February 16, 2010 must fill out the online application at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/. Print and bring the confirmation sheet to the interview. Every visa applicant must have their own confirmation sheet.

Applicants Age 14 to 79

Nonimmigrant visa applicants aged 14 to 79 are required to schedule an appointment for an interview with a U.S. consular officer. Interviews are by appointment only. The Embassy does not accept walk-in applications. Appointments can be scheduled online at http://VisaInfo.US-Visaservices.com. Alternatively, you may also call the Visa Information Services at 180-931-5642 in order to schedule your appointment.

Applicants under 14 or over 80

Applicants in this age category do not need an interview appointment. Their physical presence at the Embassy is not required during the process, unless it will be specifically required by the consular officer upon review of the visa application. However, an appointment needs to be scheduled on their behalf through the system if a family member on the same household requiring a visa interview is applying for a visa as well.
Here is how to submit their visa applications for processing:

If you are applying for your own visa, you may present your child or elderly relative’s complete visa application and passport at the time of your interview appointment at our office.
Otherwise, call 171 (the Israeli Postal Company) and pay for two-way pick-up and delivery service with your credit card. In case you do not have a credit card, the fee for the service can be charged through the Bezeq bill. You can send up to 5 applications in one package. The post office will send a messenger to pick up the application and deliver it to the Embassy for the visa processing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not accept application sent through any other channel (Express or Registered Mail, etc). Such applications will be returned to the sender without any further processing
Document requirements:
Each visa application of child under 14 or an elderly citizen over 80 should contain the following documentation:

DS-160 (CEAC) confirmation sheet, filled out electronically at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ . Please note that as of February 16, 2010 we will only accept this online application, applications sent on the old EVAF DS-156 & DS 157 will be returned to the applicant without further processing.

Failure to comply with DS-160 requirements will result in our returning the whole application back to you without processing.

5cmX5cm color photograph on a white background. The picture should be clear and of good quality.

Green part of the $131 fee receipt payable through the post office. The fee should be paid in Shekels according to the daily exchange rate.

Applicant’s valid passport.

Children’s visa applications should also include copies of the parent's valid U.S. visas. If the parents do not have valid U.S. visas, please enclose copies of the parents’ three most recent salary slips as a proof of their ties to Israel and send a copy of the visas or passports of the individuals traveling with the child. If one of the parents does not have a valid American visa, please enclose the parent's letter of consent, stating that he/she is aware of the child's travel to the United States.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a U.S. citizen, your child may be entitled to American citizenship.
You should inquire with the American Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy about a claim to citizenship before applying for a visa for your child. You should attach to the child’s visa application a letter that contains answers to the following questions:

A. Is only one parent an American citizen?
B. Did that parent live in the United States for at least five years, at least two of which were after the age of 14?
A. Are BOTH parents American citizens?
B. If so, did either one of them ever reside in the United States?
A. Were parents married at the time of the child's birth?
B. If not, please provide information about which parent is an American citizen and for how long he/she resided in the United States.
A. Are you currently pursuing or planning to pursue expeditious naturalization for the child?
B. Are you currently traveling for the purpose of expeditious naturalization for the child?
C. What is the date of your naturalization appointment?

The consular officer reserves the right to ask any applicant to appear for a personal interview.

How to Schedule an Appointment

In order to apply for a Nonimmigrant visa, the following steps are required:
- first go to https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ and fill out the application form (DS-160). Once you have successfully completed the form, the system will generate a confirmation letter which will include a confirmation number. This number is required for scheduling an appointment.
- After you have received the confirmation number, you may schedule an appointment online at http://VisaInfo.US-Visaservices.com or by contacting the call center at 180-931-5642.
If you decide to schedule your appointment through the online visa information and appointment service, you will be required to purchase a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the sum of $22 USD. The payment can be performed either through the Web site using an international Visa or MasterCard, or through the Israeli Post Office.
If you wish to use the call center, you will be required to purchase a PIN number in the sum of $27.50. Applicants who use the call center can purchase a PIN number using their international credit card upon calling the service at 180-931-5642 or through the Israeli Post Office in cash. If you experience problems while using a mobile phone, please try again from a landline phone. Please note that this number is available if dialed from local land or mobile telephones only.
In both cases, the PIN will allow access to the Internet website or to the call center for information and for scheduling up to 5 appointments for immediate family members who reside in the same household.

Processing fee

The Visa Processing Fee, also known as a Machine Readable Visa or MRV fee, for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa amounts to $131. It is payable through the Israeli Post Office in the equivalent in Shekels according to the daily exchange rate. For the complete list of participating Post Office branches, please click here. The MRV fee is non-refundable.

Expedited/urgent appointments

If the appointment date does not suite your travel plans, you can submit a request for an expedited appointment. The expedite request can be submitted only after you successfully schedule an interview appointment on the first available date. If you have already scheduled an interview appointment through the Internet, please log in to your account using your username and password you previously created. After accessing the system, you will be automatically directed to the "My Info Page" containing the "Request an Emergency Appointment" link. An answer to your request will be sent to your email within 1-2 days.
If you have scheduled your interview appointment through the call center, please contact the call center agents and ask them to submit an emergency request on your behalf.
Requests for emergency appointments for life or death cases, urgent business travel, and when applicants need to return to the United States to resume their studies or work, can be submitted directly to the Embassy via email NIVTELAVIV@STATE.GOV. Requests like this will be processed by us provided there are less than 3 business days left until the flight. In order to eliminate unnecessary delays in processing of your request, please provide all relevant details in your email and attach supporting documentation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must pay the $131 MRV fee prior to your arrival at the Embassy for your interview and bring the green stub to your appointment.