Important Visa Information

Emergency Information for American Citizens

Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination

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Visit Travel.State.gov for More Information

Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination

The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.

Important Visa Information

Important Notice

The Department of State will increase certain nonimmigrant visa application (NIV) processing fees and the Border Crossing Card (BCC) for Mexican citizens aged 15 and over. These increases will be effective on May 30, 2023. Applicants who booked appointments prior to the change in prices will not pay any additional costs.

The fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs) and other non-petition based NIVs, such as student and exchange visitor visas, will increase from $160 to $185. The fee for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205. The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will increase from $205 to $315. Other consular fees are not affected by this rule.

Fee information can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs websites: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html and https://ustraveldocs.com/ni

Payment Methods & Details

Nonimmigrant visas:

All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee. Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period. Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period. There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period. All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date.

Visa applicants, including children, are required to pay a non-refundable, non-transferable visa application fee, sometimes referred to as the MRV fee, before applying for a nonimmigrant visa. Applicants can pay this fee online with a credit or debit card or pay in local currency at any Puntoxpress agency in Nicaragua. More information about payment options can be found here. To find a Puntoxpress Agency, click here. Visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ni/ni-niv-visafeeinfo.asp for more information on visa fees.

Immigrant visas:

Immigrant visa applicants generally pay the visa fee through the National Visa Center (NVC). If the required visa fee is expired or was not previously paid to NVC, applicants will need to pay at the Embassy Consular Section during their scheduled appointment.

Appointments & Locations

Nonimmigrant visas:

Nonimmigrant visa applicants must schedule an appointment through our website. Please visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ni/ni-niv-appointmentschedule.asp for detailed information.

Immigrant visas:

Most immigrant visa applicants have their first appointment scheduled by National Visa Center (NVC). Follow-up appointments and certain categories of visa appointments may be scheduled through www.ustraveldocs.com

Security Information

Please visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ni/index.html?firstTime=No for detailed information on all visa services, fees, FAQ’s and more.

Reasonable Accomodation

If you need reasonable accommodation for your appointment, we encourage you to request your accommodation immediately once you schedule your appointment. We make every effort to provide accommodations to persons with disabilities and medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations vary, depending on the situation and the person’s needs.
Examples of accommodations include, but are not limited to:

- If you require a private appointment due to a medical condition or disability, we may schedule an alternative time for you to come in for your interview.
- If you or your child has special needs that requires a private appointment in a quiet space without distractions, we may schedule an alternative time for you or your family to come in for your interview.
- If you are unable to speak, you may be allowed to respond to questions in an agreed-upon nonverbal manner such as using pen and paper.
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may bring a sign language interpreter to translate during the interview if needed.
- If you have low vision, we may provide you with communications in large print.

If you are unable to provide fingerprints because of a medical condition, including birth defects, physical deformities, skin conditions, you may qualify for a fingerprint waiver for certain fingers.