FAQ

Yes, but only if you have a regular Passport, valid for at least six months and issued by one of the countries that is part of the "Visa Waiver Program". These countries are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, South Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Hungary. If you have a Passport issued by one of these countries you are eligible to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA) which is issued in about 72 hours.

In this case you must apply for a visa, which must be approved by the Consulate or Embassy following the formal procedures provided by the US Department of State - Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

No. To be able to study in the USA, you must obtain the I-20 form (for F and M visas) or DS-2019 (for J visas) and apply for a visa at the Consulate/Embassy. With the ESTA you can only take courses for the improvement of the English language and short duration.

No, you will have to travel with the new Passport together with the expired one on which the visa is printed, otherwise you must request a new one.

The times are never standard and depend on the type of visa, the number of current practices that must evaluate the US consular section and the political/social context in which you start the practice. It is always advisable to start the visa application well in advance of the travel hypothesis that you have planned.

Also in this case, the duration depends on the type of visa required (tourism, study, work, etc.). The expiration date is printed on the Visa under "Expiring dates", but the effective duration is decided by the DHS official at the interview in the Consulate or Embassy and will then be confirmed upon his arrival in the USA by another border immigration officer.

If you have your country-of-origin passport valid for at least six months, valid Permit or Residence Card, valid Identity Card, then you are eligible to apply for a visa. What matters above all is to make the US Immigration Authority understand that its intention is to travel temporarily, thus meeting the requirements of strong ties that push it to return to the country from which it applies for a visa (This is particularly true of tourism).

No. In this case you must leave the country and apply for a work visa. Only once approved can it return to the USA to carry out the activity of job, study etc.

Usually, applicants aged between 14 and 79 years, must undergo an interview at the Consulate/ Embassy at the end of which they will know immediately if they get the aforementioned visa. In some cases, the interview would not be required, in other cases it is possible that it is also requested outside the above-mentioned age range.

The US Immigration Authority is very clear on this point: the new visa application can be resubmitted at any time provided the grounds for refusal are met, but it is not possible to obtain any refund in case of refusal of the visa application.