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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

what to expect

After you have filled out the required forms and scheduled an interview on line at http://VisaInfo.US-Visaservices.com, you should begin to collect the necessary supporting documents to bring to your interview, such as letters from your employer, etc. (See the page for the type of visa you are applying for to determine which supporting documents you should bring with you.) You should also pay the processing fee and get your photos taken.

You should print out a copy of the confirmation of your interview appointment to bring with you to the Embassy on the day of your interview. You should also bring all the completed application forms, receipts, photos, and supporting documents. Plan to arrive at the Embassy no earlier than 15 minutes before your interview is scheduled.

Arriving at the Embassy

The Embassy is located at 71 Hayarkon in Tel Aviv. When you first arrive at the Embassy, you will be required to go through security before you can enter the consular section. Only the person applying for the visa will be admitted to the Embassy. Under no circumstances will family members (including infants and children 14 and under) and friends who accompany the applicant be admitted to the Embassy, unless you are a parent accompanying a child under age 18. Please do not bring backpacks, luggage, strollers, or electronic equipment to the interview. Children under 14 do not need to come to the Embassy for the visa interview. Only children over 14 must come to the Embassy to apply for a visa.

You will be asked to leave your cellular phone at the security entrance and will be given a number to retrieve your phone when your interview is over. Once you have gone through security, you will enter the consular section.

The First Step

When you enter the consular section, you will need to wait in line for the first step of the process. You will be asked to present your completed application forms, passport, and photos so that an Embassy official can scan the information into our computers. This official will also make sure that you have paid the required fees and filled out the forms correctly. If you have left out any information, they will ask you to complete your form before your interview. You willl also be given a short Israeli Post Office address form that you will need to complete while you wait in line. If your visa is approved, this form will be used to return the visaed passport to you at the address you write on the form. Up to five passports can be returned in the same envelope for a fee of NIS 33. The officials will return your documents and passport to you, and you will need to join the line for fingerscanning.

Fingerscans

According to U.S. law, visa applicants between ages 14 and 80 need to be fingerscanned when they apply for a visa. When you reach the window for fingerscanning, you will be asked to put first your left index finger and then your right onto a red screen to record your fingerscan. If you have a recent injury to your index finger, you may be asked to return when the wound has healed so that we may take a better scan. The fingerscan that is recorded at the visa interview will be compared to the fingerscan that you give upon entering the United States to make sure that no one else is using your visa illegally. When you have finished the fingerscan process, you may stand in line for your visa interview.

The Interview

The next stage of the process is the actual interview with an American consular officer. Most consular officers speak Hebrew, as well as some other languages such as Russian, Arabic, Spanish, and of course English. When you reach the head of the line, you should go to the next available window for your interview. The interview usually lasts just a few minutes.

The consular officer will ask you questions to determine your reasons for traveling to the United States. You should answer these questions truthfully and thoroughly. In most cases, the consular officer will tell you at this time if your visa application is approved. If your visa application is approved, the consular officer will keep your application and passport so that we can issue the visa.

At times, the consular officer may need you to provide more documents in order to make a decision about your qualifications for a visa. The officer will tell you the documents you need to collect and will tell you when you can return with these documents to complete your interview. In this case, the officer will return your passport to you until we are able to issue the visa. Some applicants, including those with scientific or technical background and those with previous visa refusals or arrests in Israel or the United States, may require additional administrative processing before they are able to receive their visas. The consular officer will tell you the procedures in these cases.

Receiving Your Visa

If your visa application is approved, you will need to move to the final point in the process: the booth for Israel Post. At this booth, located at the rear of the visa waiting room, you will need to pay to have your passport, with the new visa inside of it, returned to your home. You can track your passport at www.israelpost.co.il with the verification stub that they will give you. Once you have made arrangements with the Post Office for the return of your visa, you are free to leave. Don’t forget to pick up your cell phone at security on your way out!

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 Post Office 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. These applicants should allow at least 30-45 days for processing.

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.

The Embassy strongly encourages intending travelers to apply for visas well in advance of their proposed journey, and to always refrain from buying tickets until the visa has been issued and they have received the passport with the visa.

Refusals

In some cases your visa application may be refused. See the page on Refusals for more information on types of refusals and when you can reapply. If your application is denied, the officer will return your passport to you with a stamp in the back showing that you applied for a visa but will keep the application. You will not be refunded the $100 processing fee.