Application Materials

All applications for United States nonimmigrant visa must include the following:

An application form completed and signed. One form is needed for each person including children. Blank forms are available at the Embassy at no charge from the Gate 3 guard. Application forms may also be obtained from most travel agencies.

• A valid, undamaged passport.
• One color photograph 1.5" x 1.5" (37mm x 37mm) against a white background with your signature on the reverse side.
• Application Fee

Please note: Visa application fees are not refundable. No exceptions will be made to this rule.
 

What to Bring to an Interview

    The supporting documents you should bring to an interview depend on the type of visa for which you are applying. Please see the section on this site that discusses the visa class for which you intend to apply. In most cases, however, and in particular for tourist/visitor visas (B1 or B2), the following documents are usually considered most helpful:
 

• Bank Statements or passbooks showing account activity for at least three months prior to your interview
• Bank Certifications of accounts showing current balances
• Credit Card Statements going back three months or more
• Income tax returns from the prior year, including bank receipt of payment and Community Tax Certificate
• Business persons should bring a Department of Trade and Industries certificate and records showing business activity (e.g. invoices, payments, payroll records)
• Land Titles

Demonstrating Ties

    Applicants must be able to demonstrate to the interviewing officer that they have ties - economic, social, or other - that will cause them to return to the Philippines following their visit to the United States. This is true whether you apply through the Drop Box or appear for an interview. For more information about demonstrating ties and the interview process, please see the Frequently Asked Questions page.

If You Are Issued a Visa

    If at the end of the interview the decision of the consular officer is to issue you a nonimmigrant visa, you will be given a colored tag for each visa application that has been approved. Take this tag to the courier service desk in the Pavilion outside Gate 4, where you will need to arrange for delivery of your passport and visa. The current delivery fee is 85 pesos per visa for delivery anywhere in the Philippines.
You should allow 5-7 business days for delivery of your visa. If you need it to be issued earlier, please inform the officer at the time of the interview. The officer will determine whether earlier issuance is possible.

Applicants should also be prepared to present originals of the following supporting documents at the time of the interview.  If the purpose of your travel is:
 

• Business - A letter from the US organization indicating the purpose of the trip, the intended length of your stay, and the firm’s intent to defray costs, if applicable. Applicants traveling on business for a Philippines-based employer should present a letter from the employer outlining the travel and business plans, including dates of travel. Employers that frequently send employees to the United States should join the Preferred Companies program.

• Pleasure - You should be able to explain and document if possible the purpose and length of the trip, the ties that would bring your back after a short visit (family, employment, et al.) and ability to cover the costs of the trip.

• Medical treatment - Please refer to the Medical Treatment page for more information.

    Other Items to Bring In the limited time available for an interview, the interviewing officer is interested primarily in interviewing the applicant, not in reviewing documents. Therefore, do not be surprised if documents you bring with you receive only a brief glance. Nonetheless, you should bring the following documents to an interview:
 

• Birth certificates printed on NSO security paper for any children who are applying for visas (children under age 14 do not need to appear for interview). Any other versions will be refused and the consular officer may require you to return with the correct documents.
• Marriage certificates printed on NSO security paper
• Bank passbooks, checking account or credit card statements, or records of transactions going back at least three months. Bank certifications of accounts and balances alone are generally not helpful.
• For minors traveling with somebody other than parents: A certification from the Department of Social Welfare authorizing such travel, in addition to the passports of both parents. Whenever possible, parents should appear for the interview even if they are not traveling or applying for a visa.
• Business persons should bring a license from the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) and a Mayor's Permit.
• Income tax returns from the prior year, together with a bank receipt showing payment and a Community Tax Certificate.
• Land titles

All documents must be originals. Photocopies are not acceptable.

Also helpful:

• Pictures of family, home or business
• Wedding photos
• Proof of travel medical insurance for applicants who might be at risk of requiring medical care while in the United States

The following documents are not considered helpful
Affidavits of support from relatives/sponsors in the United States (exception: Student visa applications). The Affidavit of Support is a requirement only for Immigrant Visas. The interviewing officer is less concerned about how you will be supported during your stay in the United States than in whether you have reason to return home.

•     Affidavits - In general, affidavits of any sort will be of little value to an applicant. We encourage you to save yourself the time and money and not to prepare them.

•     Letters of invitation (except for business travel).

US Embassy Manila Home Page :  http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/