How to Apply for a Visa?
In order to apply for a U. S. nonimmigrant visa, please follow the steps below:
- Determine the type of Visa required to travel to the United States. Information about Visa types can be found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html.
2. Complete the online visa application form, DS-160. The DS-160 is a U.S. Government on-line form and can only be completed at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ . Each applicant must complete this form.
3. Visit https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-bz/niv and complete the following application steps to schedule a Consular Section appointment:
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- Create a user account
- Enter the DS-160 confirmation number for each applicant applying for a Visa
- Pay the Nonimmigrant Visa (MRV) application fee(s)
- Schedule a Consular Section appointment
Visit the U.S. Embassy on the date and time of your visa interview.
Note: Applicants of a certain age group or those who are renewing a previous U.S. visa may be eligible to apply for a visa without attending a Consular interview. Eligibility for an interview waiver will be determined as the applicant goes through the process of scheduling an appointment through the appointment website. The determination will be made based on the answers provided to the qualifying criteria.
Interview Waiver
Who is eligible?
Applicants who are either…
- Renewing visas
- 13 years old or younger OR
- 80 years old or older
…may be eligible to drop off their documents at an authorized courier location and forego the usual requirement of an in-person interview with a consular officer.
During the online application process, all visa applicants will answer a series of questions to determine eligibility for the interview waiver. If you are eligible for the interview waiver, you will receive further instructions for dropping off your documentation.
You can begin the application process here or read on for further information, including eligibility requirements, processing time, and quality control measures.
Specific Requirements
Renewals
To be eligible for the interview waiver, visa applicants who wish to renew a visa must:
- Be renewing a full validity (ten years or greater) visa that expired less than 48 months ago for tourist (B1/B2) visas.
- Hold a Belizean Passport or normally reside in Belize.
- Be applying in the same visa category as their previous visa.
- (For students and petition-based visa applications) Be returning to the same institution or workplace as was indicated in previous application.
- Still be in possession of the most recent visa (applicants whose visas have been lost or stolen will not be eligible).
- Never have been arrested or convicted of a crime.
- Never have been deported from the U.S.; denied entry to the U.S.; or had any other problem or difficulty with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol when attempting to enter the U.S.
- Have completely and accurately filled out all sections of the DS-160 online application.
Children 13 years old or younger
To be eligible for the interview waiver, children who are 13 years old or younger must:
- Have been born in Belize and hold a Belizean passport.
- Have parents/legal guardians who both hold Belizean Passports.
- Have at least one parent/legal guardian who holds a valid visa or is renewing his/her visa at the same time as the child.
- Submit a copy of their Birth Certificate and a Copy of the Parents’ valid visa(s).
- Have completely and accurately filled out all sections of the DS-160 online application.
Applicants 80 or over
To be eligible for the interview waiver, applicants who are 80 years old or older must:
- Be Belizean passport holders.
- Never have been arrested or convicted of a crime.
- Never have been deported from the U.S.; denied entry to the U.S.; or had any other problem or difficulty with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol when attempting to enter the U.S.
- Have completely and accurately filled out all sections of the DS-160 online application.
Processing Time and Quality Control
If the consular officer has no additional questions, the passport and visa will be available the following Tuesday or Thursday (within two weeks of submission). If the officer has questions about the application, a representative from the Embassy will contact the applicant to schedule an interview at the Embassy. To assure quality and prevent fraud, a certain percentage of applicants who qualify for the interview waiver will automatically be asked to come in for in-person interviews.
To apply for an interview waiver, begin the application process here: Apply for a visa. If you are eligible, you will receive instructions for dropping off your documents at an authorized courier location at the end of the process.
Request Expedited Visa Appointment
Travelers with imminent travel may request an expedited visa appointment. To request an expedited visa appointment, first schedule a regular visa appointment on the closest available date. Then sign-in to your account, click ‘Continue’, select ‘Request Expedite’ and follow the instructions. The traveler should include in the request the date and purpose of the travel. Expedited Appointments will only be granted at the Consular Section’s discretion.
Circumstances that may be considered for expedited appointments include:
a. An immediate relative’s death, grave illness or life threatening accident taking place in the United States.
b. Urgent medical treatment for the applicant or their minor child.
c. An applicant for a student or exchange visitor (F/M/J) visa whose I-20 or DS-2019 has a start date that is earlier than the first available visa appointment.
d. An unexpected need to travel to the United States for urgent business purposes that is occurring within 10 days after the first available visa appointment.
e. An unexpected visit that is of significant cultural, political, journalistic, sporting or economic importance that is occurring within 10 days after the first available visa appointment.
Diplomatic Visas
Government Travel (A, G & C-3 Visas)
Any person going to the United States of America on official government business must obtain a diplomatic or official (A or G) visa before traveling.
Official travel includes anyone assigned to a Belizean mission such as in Washington, DC, or New York, as well as any travel by non-Belizean applicants representing their respective foreign government on a temporary official mission to the U.S. paid for by that government. Belizean citizens hired to work directly for certain international organizations in the United States are also eligible for G visas. Government officials transiting through the United States to another country for official government business may obtain a C-3 transit visa.
Official travelers must prepare the following:
- A passport valid for at least six months from the date of first planned entry into the United States;
- A DS-160 application form submitted online;
- A DS-160 application form confirmation page;
- One recent (37mm X 37mm) full-face photograph;
- Official government travel orders from the respective foreign government paying for the trip and stating the full reason for travel (reason must state more than “official mission”);
- Documentation from the agency or organization in the United States describing the program or event to be attended (when appropriate), or assignment in the United States.
Applications may be delivered to the Consular Section between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. any Monday, Wednesday or Thursday. Please allow at least three (3) working days in advance of your intended travel date for the Consular Section’s visa processing. Approved visas will generally be ready for pick-up the following Tuesday or Thursday at 3:00 p.m. The Consular Section will consider emergency applications for official travel on a case-by-case basis.
No fees are charged for official visas, and the fingerprints are usually waived. A personal appearance is not usually required.
Applicants should make sure to complete every question on the DS-160 and to print the confirmation page. Incomplete applications cannot be processed and will be returned.
The Embassy does reserve the right to interview individual diplomatic or official visa applicants and/or request fingerprints on a case-by-case basis to determine their eligibility for this visa category.
Government Travel
Find out more about Diplomatic Visas or Government Travel.
Treaty Trader and Investor Visas
Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) visas are for citizens of countries with which the United States maintains treaties of commerce and navigation. The applicant must be coming to the United States to engage in substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, in qualifying activities, principally between the United States and the treaty country (E-1), or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the applicant has invested a substantial amount of capital (E-2).
How to apply for an E-visa in Belize?
There are several steps to apply for a visa.
1. Gather all documentation pertaining to your E-visa application. Complete and submit the Online Visa Application (DS-160) along with your uploaded photo.
2. Print the bar-coded DS-160 confirmation page which must be submitted with your application. Complete and submit Form DS-156E (not required for dependent family members)
3. Create a user profile at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-bz/niv
4. Pay the visa application fee for yourself and any accompanying family members. Visa fees must be paid in person at a ScotiaBank location in Belize before an appointment at the Embassy can be made. Any reciprocity fee may be paid in U.S. dollar or Belize dollar cash only at the Embassy on the day of the appointment.
5. Follow the step by step instructions provided at our information and appointment service provider’s website to schedule an interview. E-1 and E-2 appointments are only offered on Tuesday afternoons and there is a three week wait time after the visa fee has been paid before an interview can be scheduled. Print your appointment confirmation sheet to bring with you to the interview.
6. Appear for your interview at the U.S. Embassy.
How are E-visas processed in Belize?
E-visa applicants are responsible for ensuring that they apply under the appropriate visa classification and submit the required documentation that pertains to their applications electronically to ConsulBelize@state.gov at least 10 business days prior to their appointment. For a comprehensive list of supporting documentation and instructions for submitting to the consular section please consult the list of supporting documents (PDF 197 KB). Applicants should bring their original hard-copy supporting documents to the visa interview. All vital statistical documents used to prove dependent relationships (i.e. birth certificates, marriage certificates) must be originals, not photocopies. If a reciprocity fee is required see here. It can be paid in U.S. dollar cash or Belize dollar cash only at the Embassy at the time of the interview.