Non-Immigrant Visas
Frequently Asked Questions: Non-Immigrant Visas and Travel Under the Visa Waiver Program
U.S. VISAS AND GENERAL TRAVEL TO THE U.S.
What is a visa?
A visa gives you permission
to apply for entry to the U.S. See here for more information: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/whatis/index.html
Norwegians may travel to the U.S. without a visa in some cases (see below); they
are traveling on the Visa Waiver Program, which means that the requirement to
have a visa to enter the U.S. is waived, or lifted.
Do I need a visa to go to the U.S.?
If you
are a Norwegian citizen holding a machine-readable passport and you are going to
the U.S. for a stay of less than 90 days with a round-trip ticket and traveling
for general business (meetings, conference, etc.) or tourist purposes, then you
can probably travel without a visa on the Visa Waiver Program. See http://niv_waiver_program.html
for more information.
I just need to go through (transit) the U.S. to get
to another country.I don't even plan to leave the airport. Do I need a
visa?
If you are eligible to travel on the Visa Waiver Program, you may
also transit the U.S. without a visa. If you are NOT eligible to travel on the
Visa Waiver Program, you are not eligible to transit the U.S. without a visa.
For more information on the Visa Waiver Program, please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html
If you need to get a transit (C-1) visa, you will provide the same documents as
you would if you were applying for a tourist (B-2) visa.
How long can I stay in the United States?
If you are traveling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program, you may remain in the
U.S. for up to 90 days. If you have a visa, when you enter the U.S., the
immigration inspector will decide how long you may stay, depending on what kind
of visa you have. For B-1/B-2 (tourist or business) visa holders, a stay of 6
months is usually granted. Students with F-1 visas may stay 60 days past the
expiration date on the visa. Students with M-1 visas or exchange visitors with
J-1 visas may stay 30 days past the expiration date on the visa. For more
information, please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_info_additional2.html
How long will my visa last? How long can I get a visa
for?
A tourist or business visa for a Norwegian citizen may be issued for
as long as ten years; however, the length of time your visa will be valid will
depend on your personal situation. Remember that a visa only gives you
permission to apply for entry to the U.S.; a 10-year visa means that you may
apply for entry to the U.S. for 10 years, not that you can STAY in the U.S. for
10 years! The consular officer will decide how long your visa will be valid
after you have your interview (or, if you are applying by mail, when he/she is
adjudicating your application). For more information, please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_info_additional2.html
Is there a limit to the number of times that I may
travel to the U.S. under the VWP (visa free) in any given period of
time?
No, there is no such limit, nor is there a minimum period of time
that you are required to remain outside the U.S. before going back. However, if
you are a frequent traveler to the U.S., you should be sure to carry with you
(1) evidence of your residence abroad and (2) evidence of funds sufficient for
your stay in the U.S.
Does my Norwegian passport need to be valid for at
least 6 months?
No, Norway is one of the countries that is exempt from
the requirement that a passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day
that you enter the U.S. If you hold a non-Norwegian passport, please send us an
e-mail (oslovisa@state.gov) to check.
My old visa says "INDEFINITE"; is it still
valid?
These "INDEFINITE" validty visas are NO LONGER VALID. However, you
can probably travel now on the Visa Waiver Program, that is, without a visa. See http://niv_waiver_program.html for more
information.
I am a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR)/"Green Card"
holder. Do I need a machine-readable passport to travel into the U.S.?
No. The only people who need machine-readable passports are people going
to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for short trips for business or
tourism as of October 26, 2004. If you are traveling to the U.S. as an LPR, then
you are not traveling under the VWP and you do not need a machine-readable
passport.
SPECIAL PROBLEMS
How do I get a visa right away for emergency
medical treatment in the U.S. for myself or my family member?
If you are
unable to book an appointment in time for your treatment or are unable to come
to the Embassy for medical reasons, please contact us by e-mail or phone. In
addition to the documents that must be included in every visa application, you
will want to include (1) information from the physician(s) here and/or in the
U.S. about the type of treatment you or your family member will be receiving and
the cost of the treatment and any follow-up treatment that may be necessary, (2)
proof that you can pay for your stay in the U.S., the entire treatment, and any
follow-up treatment (insurance, personal funds, etc.), and, if you are
accompanying the person receiving the treatment, (3) a written explanation of
why your presence is necessary.
My passport has been damaged, but I still have a
valid U.S. visa in the passport. What should I do?
If the photo page on
your passport has been damaged (i.e., it has begun to detach from the rest of
the passport or the lamination is coming apart), then you should get a new
passport and apply for a new visa.
Please note that we cannot place a visa in a passport with a photo page that is even partially detached. If your passport has this problem, you'll need to get a new passport before you apply for a visa.
My passport has expired, but I still have a valid
U.S. visa in the passport. What should I do?
If your passport has expired
and you still have a valid visa, then you may travel with two passports: your
new passport and your old passport with the visa. If you wish, you may apply for
a new visa in your new passport; however, we cannot simply "transfer" the visa
to your new passport.
What should I do if I overstayed on a previous
visit to the U.S. and I want to go to the U.S. again now?
You must apply
for a visa.
I was once refused a visa under Section 214(b) or
Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Can I travel under the
Visa Waiver Program without a visa?
We recommend that you apply for a
visa.
I was arrested/convicted years ago. Do I need a
visa?
Anyone convicted of or punished for a crime involving moral
turpitude or controlled substances (regardless of how long ago) is ineligible
for the Visa Waiver Program and must apply for a visa. If there is any doubt
regarding the nature of the offense, it is advisable to apply for a visa. In
addition to usual requirements for a visa application, the applicant would need
to submit all court records and a recent police record. (Processing can
sometimes be quicker if you submit English translations performed by a
government-authorized translator as well as the Norwegian originals.)
A crime such as a single drunk driving or speeding charge does not necessarily prevent you from using the Visa Waiver Program. When completing the Visa Waiver Program questionnaire given to you on the aircraft you must answer "yes" to the question about whether you have ever been arrested or charged. Consequently, you should to carry with you documentation (e.g. court records) to show you were not jailed and that the offense was not more serious. You may prefer to apply for a visa and bring such documentation with you to your visa interview.
I am entering the U.S. on a private yacht or a
private plane. Do I need a visa?
Yes, you cannot travel under the Visa
Waiver Program.
I am not Norwegian. Can I apply for a visa at the
Embassy in Oslo?
Anyone who is present in Norway may apply for a visa
here; HOWEVER, it is difficult for people who are visiting Norway temporarily or
who have lived in Norway for only a few years to qualify for a visa because they
are not likely to possess or be able to demonstrate the strong and permanent
ties to Norway or their country of residence that prove that they will be
returning to Norway or some other location abroad at the end of their visit to
the U.S. We cannot evaluate your case until you apply, so you should not call
the Embassy with specific details about your personal situation. Please see http://nonnordic.html
for more information.
I have a green or white card (I-94 or I-94W)
stapled into my passport. What should I do with it?
If you still have
this card in your passport, then your departure from the U.S. was probably not
properly recorded. This could cause you problems in the future if not corrected.
Please see
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/i-94_instructions/
for more information.
I am experiencing problems at the port of entry
when I enter the United States and/or am having problems checking in for flights
as I believe that I have been mistakenly identified with someone with a similar
name by U.S. immigration. What can I do?
If you believe that you have
been mistakenly identified with someone with a similar name, you can request an
audit of your case by completing and signing the form located at http://www.dhs.gov/trip and following the
website instructions for submitting it to the Department of Homeland
Security.
I have a Permanent Resident Card
(green card) and I no longer wish to live in the United States; what do I
do?
If you no longer wish to reside in the United States, you may
formally abandon your status by completing the form I-407. Please mail the attached form I-407 with your Permanent Resident Card (green
card) to the Immigrant Visa Unit, U.S. Embassy, Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244
Oslo. We request that you send a self-addressed, stamped envelope so that we can
return a copy of the completed I-407 for your
presentation to the immigration at the port of entry on your next trip to the
U.S. Registered mail is recommended.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
How do I apply for a U.S. visa?
You will
need to follow the instructions on our main visa page: http://visas.html/
How do I apply for a visa for someone who is under
age 18?
Any applicant under age 18 whose parents are not also applying
for visas at the same time must submit a notarized statement signed by both
parents (or the parent who is not applying for a visa) that gives permission for
the child to apply for a U.S. visa. The statement must be accompanied by the
applicant's birth certificate and copies of the parents' passports. If one
parent has sole custody due to a divorce decree or the death of the other parent
or if a person other than a parent has legal custody of the child, copies of
court documents stating this must be provided. All of these documents may be in
Norwegian or English.
How can I renew my visa
from the U.S.?
Since the "bio-visa" came into being and most applicants
must have an "ink-less" fingerprint scan in order to receive a visa, very few
people can renew a visa from the U.S. See here for details.
If you don't want to return to Norway, however, you may be able to renew your
visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy in Canada or Mexico; please click here for
more information: http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_canadians.html#TCN
I'm visiting a friend in the U.S. If he/she wants
to send me an invitation letter to include in my visa application, what are the
requirements for the invitation?
There are no specific requirements for
invitation letters, which are optional. Such letters do not need to be
notarized. It is helpful if the following information is included: name of the
inviting party, name of the applicant, the relationship between the two
individuals, intended length of stay, and any financial assistance that will be
provided to cover the cost of the trip. Proof of the inviting party's status in
the U.S. (i.e., copy of a passport, visa or "Green Card") is also helpful.
Should invitation letters be sent to the
Embassy?
In order to ensure that an invitation is on hand for the
interview, it should not be sent to the Embassy. Invitations should be sent
directly to the visa applicant, who can present them together with the rest of
the application. This avoids misplacement of the invitation letter and a lot of
inconvenience for everyone involved.
TYPES OF VISAS
I don't know what kind of visa I need. What types
of visas are available?
Please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_types.html.
Can our au-pair come with us on vacation /
temporary relocation to the U.S.?
Maybe. The rules regarding domestic or
personal assistants going to the U.S. with their employers who will be
temporarily living in the U.S. are complicated. Please see here for more
information: http://domestic.html.
A family in the U.S. wants me to come to take care
of their children (au pair). How can I do that?
There are only two legal
ways to work as an au pair for a U.S. citizen or LPR family living in the U.S.
One is through an au pair organization exchange program. The other is to have an
approved work petition, but these are very difficult, if not impossible, for an
au pair to obtain, as work petitions are generally meant for managers or
specialists. You may not work as an au pair on the Visa Waiver Program or on a
business or tourist visa.
I want to go to the U.S. for a year of high school
(secondary school). What do I need to do?
Most high school students go
through exchange programs. You can find more information here: http://educationusa.state.gov. If you
do not want to go through an exchange program, then you may attend any private
or public high school as long as they can issue you an I-20 form. In order to
attend a public high school, you will need to reimburse the high school the
full, unsubsidized cost of the education. For more information about student and
exchange visitor visas, please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_types.html.
I'm a journalist or documentary filmmaker. What do I need to
do to apply for a visa?
You should follow the same procedures as our
other applicants. For detailed information on what to include with your
application, please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_types_media.html
I would like to live and work temporarily in the U.S. What
do I need to do?
Generally, in order to work in the U.S., a U.S. company
must already want to hire you and must petition (make a written request to) the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for the job to be filled by you. For
more information about types of U.S. work visas, please see
http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_types_temp.html. The main
exception to this rule is the E visa for treaty traders and treaty investors.
See below for more information.
How can I live temporarily in the U.S. to manage a
company that will be trading between the U.S. and Norway? How can I live in the
U.S. temporarily to manage a company in the U.S. into which I have invested
money? I need more information about the E visa.
You will want to apply
for an E-1 (Treaty Trader) or E-2 (Treaty Investor) visa. Please click here for
more information: http://treaty.html.