NonImmigrant Visas

General Information

• Visa application procedures through off-site service provider
• Address for off-site service provider
• Saimon Overseas Ltd. (off-site service provider) Appointment Prerequisites
• Visa application procedures through the Consular Section
• Important things to remember when filling out application forms
• Plan ahead to schedule an appointment
• Expedited appointment procedure
• Non-immigrant visa fees
• Non-immigrant Photo Requirements 
• Supporting Documents 
• Visa denials
• Nonimmigrant visa types and requirements
• Visa Appointment Wait Time 
• Hours of Operation 
• Embassy location and contact information
• Electronic Visa Application Forms 
• Visa Waiver Program
• Advanced Passenger Information System 
• Important note for Non-immigrant Visa Applicants
• Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants may schedule their appointments through our service provider Saimon Overseas Ltd.  This service allows applicants to purchase a fee receipt, fill out and submit required visa application forms, and schedule an interview in one easy stop. Applicants who use this service will not be required to come to the Embassy until the day of their interview. Saimon Overseas Ltd.  assesses a per passport service fee of 650 taka.  Successful visa applicants pick up their issued visa from the Saimon Overseas office where they submitted their application.

Saimon Overseas Ltd.
Saimon Center
House #4A, Road #22
Gulshan – 1, Dhaka 1212
Tel: 880-2-9893964

Visa application forms are free to everyone.  Applicants should never pay money for a non-immigrant visa application form.  Applications are available at the Saimon Overseas office in Gulshan, Dhaka.

Applicants should not submit any supporting documents to Saimon Overseas office.  Instead, applicants must bring all supporting documents relevant to their visa application to the Consular Section and present to the interviewing Consular Officer at the time of the interview.

Those applicants who do not wish to take advantage of the service offered by Saimon Overseas Ltd. may schedule interviews for non-immigrant visas in person at the Consular Section on Thursdays between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. The number of appointments available for applicants who appear at the Consular Section is extremely limited.  For faster service, applicants are strongly encouraged to go to the Saimon Overseas Ltd. office.  Applicants choosing to schedule through the Consular Section will need to complete an Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF 156).  Please see requirements below if you wish to schedule an appointment from the Consular Section directly.

• EVAF 156 (required from all applicants). EVAF-156s are available at http://evisaforms.state.gov
• Passport with at least 6 months validity beyond the anticipated date of travel.
• Complete set of signed application forms (DS-156, DS-157, DS-158 and non-immigrant visa questionnaire).
• Two photographs for each application.
• $131 nonimmigrant visa application fee receipt. The $131 visa fee is not refundable (no credit card or bank checks will be accepted).

Important things to remember when filling out U.S. visa application forms:

• Respond to all the questions. If you have no response for a question, put "none" or "nil" - do not draw a line or write "NA" or "not applicable"
• You must provide specific contact and address information both in Bangladesh and the United States. Applications with responses such as "any hotel" as the address in the U.S. will be suspended for additional information.
• You must sign your application, even if someone else fills it out.
• All applicants are personally responsible and accountable for the answers on their application forms, regardless of who fills out the forms.
• All phone numbers must be correct.
• All four forms (DS-156, DS-157, DS-158 including the questionnaire) must be filled out completely, even if the information is repeated from other forms.
• If your name on your passport uses initials, you must list your FULL NAME in the "other names used" box.
• Please be truthful in the information and documents you provide.
  

Important note:  Incomplete U.S. visa applications may result in delays in visa issuance, possibly up to several months.

All nonimmigrant visa applicants are encouraged to schedule their visa interviews at least 90 days in advance of their anticipated date of travel. 

U.S. Embassy Dhaka does not have a waiting list for appointments.  Interviews are scheduled two workdays from the date of application request.  Expedited appointments will not be granted unless a backlog develops.
The Non-Immigrant Visa Unit of the Embassy of the United States of America in Dhaka may schedule appointments for urgent visa applications.  An Emergency visa application is the result of an unplanned and immediate urgent need to travel, such as a medical emergency, hospitalization, funeral, start of academic studies, etc.
If you believe that you have an emergency case, you may call the Consular Section (Non-immigrant visa unit) at 885-5500 between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. on normal embassy working days.  You may FAX a written request for an emergency appointment to: 882-4449. 
Expedited appointments will only be scheduled on normal embassy business days and during normal working hours.  Expedited appointments are not available after normal working hours or on the days when the Embassy is closed.

Important note:  All applicants must be qualified before a visa can be issued. The granting of an emergency appointment does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.

Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh is the offsite non-immigrant visa application fee collection agent.  Applicants may deposit the non-immigrant visa application fee directly to Standard Chartered Bank and obtain a receipt.  For the fee processing service, the Standard Chartered Bank assesses a processing fee of 100 taka plus applicable VAT.

Address of Standard Chartered Bank:
Plot # 189, Block # NWA,

Gulshan Avenue (opposite Pakistan Embassy)
Gulshan - 2, Dhaka.
Phone: 882 1904, 9881651

Supporting Documents:

Each person applying for a US visa must have a passport with at least 6 months validity beyond the intended date of entrance into the US.  Children are not permitted to travel on a parent’s passport.

Applicants for non-immigrant visas must prove that they qualify for a visa under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.  Under this law, every applicant is presumed to be an intending immigrant.  Therefore, the majority of applicants for non-immigrant visas must overcome this presumption by demonstrating that:

• They have a valid, temporary purpose of travel.
• They plan to remain for a specific, limited period.
• They have a residence outside the United States (in most cases, in Bangladesh) as well as other family, social and economic ties that will ensure their return at the end of their visit. Even applicants who wish to visit the United States for business or official travel will need to demonstrate their personal ties to Bangladesh.
  

If family or friends are inviting applicants on a personal visit or are acting as a sponsor, applicants should also bring the letter of invitation and proof of their family or friend’s immigration and financial status in the U.S. Guarantees by individuals or organizations that an applicant will return to the place of their residence does not relieve the applicant of proving that they meet the requirements detailed above.

Each applicant is unique, so it is not possible to provide a list of required documents.  Applicants should present whatever evidence will prove to the interviewing consular officer that they intend to return to Bangladesh or other residence outside of the United States.  Applicants are encouraged to show documentary evidence of their family, social, and economic ties to Bangladesh.

Examples of useful supporting documents include, but are not limited to:  

• All previous passports.
• Passports or other identifying information for spouse and/or children in Bangladesh (even if they are not traveling).
• Three to twelve months of personal bank statements.
• Salary statements or job letters.
• Property, tax or business records.
• School documents for children or students.
• Information from contacts in the United States if traveling for business.
• Seaman’s books if applying for crew visa.
• Wedding photos if applying for derivative visa or applying with spouse.
• Evidence of membership in organizations.
• Copies of passports and/or immigration documents of relatives in the United States.  
  

Important note: Each applicant is different. You should present evidence relevant to YOUR case. Applicants should present evidence that will show their own ties to Bangladesh. Supporting documents help an officer evaluate the applicant’s ties to Bangladesh, but supporting documents do not guarantee that a visa will be issued.

In most cases, visa applicants must prove that they qualify for a visa under section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which states that:

“Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status...”

While in most cases the only required documents are the applicant’s passport, application form, photo, and fee receipt, the applicant should bring supporting documentation to prove that he or she has sufficient family, social or economic ties to a residence outside of the United States which he or she is unwilling to abandon. The law also states "Whenever any person makes an application for a visa...the burden of proof shall be upon such person to establish that he is eligible."