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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

All Israeli citizens, regardless of age, must apply for a visa to enter the United States. The type of visa required will depend on the purpose of your travel. Use the links on the sidebar to the left to find more information on each visa type and the documents you will need to provide to apply for each.

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. All appointments can be scheduled online at http://VisaInfo.US-Visaservices.com

Personalized Help from the “Call Center”

Personal assistance to schedule an appointment, or just to get information about the visa process, is available by phone for a small additional fee. Usually, people can obtain the help they need to apply for a visa from the Call Center rather than from travel agents and other intermediaries who charge far higher fees. Phone the Call Center at 180-931-5642.

Applicants under 14 or over 80

Applicants younger than 14 and older than 80 can apply for a visa without an interview. Call 171 (the Israeli Postal Company) and pay for two-way pick-up and delivery service with your credit card. The post office will send a messenger to pick up your completed application forms, a photograph measuring 5 cm X 5 cm, valid passports, supporting documents, and the payment receipt of $131 per application. Please note that the Visa Application Form DS-156 should be filled out electronically through the following website: http://evisaforms.state.gov. The EVAF DS-156 form must be printed and signed and the three pages (including the third page with the bar-code) should be submitted. Please note that application forms with hand-written information will NOT be accepted. Do not fold the application and make sure that it is printed in a high quality printer.

WE WILL NOT ACCEPT APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH ANY OTHER CHANNEL (EXPRESS OR REGISTERED MAIL, ETC). SUCH APPLICATIONS WILL BE SENT BACK TO THE APPLICANTS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROCESSING

Applications for children should also contain copies of the parents’ visas or proof of the parents’ ties to Israel and a letter from the parents authorizing the child’s travel. The post office will deliver these documents to the Embassy in Tel Aviv for processing. Please note that if you were born in the United States, your child may be entitled to U.S. citizenship. In this case, 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. The consular officer reserves the right to ask any applicant to appear for a personal interview.
Exception: If you are the parent of a child under 14 or an immediate family member of an applicant over 80, but you are scheduling an appointment to apply for your own visa, please present your child’s or elderly relative’s completed Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) application, photograph measuring 5 cm X 5 cm, a valid passport, and required post office receipt as proof of payment of the processing fee, in addition to all of your documents on the day of your appointment. You do not need to schedule an appointment for them when you schedule yours. Please note that if you were born in the United States, your child may be entitled to U.S. citizenship. In this case, 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.

How to Schedule an Appointment

Applicants can schedule nonimmigrant visa appointments themselves at the following web site http://VisaInfo.US-Visaservices.com. The cost for this service is $22 USD. If you need personalized assistance to navigate the web site, an employee of our Call Center (dial 180-931-5642) will assist you for the small additional fee of $5.50. Payment can be made by Visa or MasterCard on the Website, or at any branch of the Israeli post office. These fees provide you access to the Web site or the Call Center for up to 5 appointments for immediate family members who reside in the same household. Emergency appointments must also be scheduled through this service.
If you experience problems while using a mobile phone, please try again from a landline phone.

When to Apply

Summer and the months preceding Pesach and the High Holidays are very busy, and it may be difficult to make an appointment during this time. The Embassy suggests that intending travelers apply for visas several months before the proposed travel date in order to avoid any delay and to plan ahead for any anticipated events in the United States, such as weddings, conferences, and bar mitzvahs. Travelers should also not purchase tickets until after the visa has been issued.
You can check the approximate wait time for scheduling a visa interview at the U.S. Department of State Web site.

Processing Times

The processing times quoted below are approximate and cannot be guaranteed. Routine visa applications take approximately two workdays for the Embassy to process after the visa interview, though some applications require additional processing time. After the visa has been printed, it should take at least one more day for the courier service to deliver the passport and visa to you. It is prudent to keep these approximate times in mind when planning your international travel.
Some applicants require additional processing before they can receive a visa. Applicants who are advised at the time of the visa interview that their application will require additional administrative processing should allow at least 30-45 days for this stage of the application to be completed.
Please note: If your visa application is approved, you will need to leave your passport at the Embassy in order to process your visa. Please plan your international travel accordingly.

Important Notice

It is important to check the relevant section of the Web site for the documents required when applying for a specific category of visa. Failure to include the documents and forms will result in the application being delayed or denied.