Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Nonimmigrant Visas
Table of Contents
1. How do I make a nonimmigrant visa appointment?
2. How do I reschedule/cancel an appointment?
3. Why was not I admitted for my visa interview appointment because of a minor error in my name/passport number?
4. I was robbed of (or lost) my passport which bears a valid American visa. What should I do?
5. When will the administrative processing on my case be completed?
6. Can I get an expedited appointment? I need to travel urgently.
7. How do I pay the visa application fee?
8. I’m applying for a student visa. How do I pay the SEVIS fee?
9. I am unable to come in person to pick up my visa. Can I send someone?
10. My passport will expire in less than six months after my trip. Can I use it for the visa application?
11. My baby is endorsed on my passport. Can we use the same passport for our visa applications?
12. What documents does one need to “prove socio-economic ties to Liberia?”
13. Do I need an invitation letter?
14. We are scheduled to travel as a group, but are unable to get the same appointment date for all members. Is that a problem?
15. How soon may I reapply after a visa denial?
16. Can my family come with me for a visa interview even if they don’t have appointments?
17. I am sending documents to support a visa application. Can you include them with the visa application?
1. How do I make a nonimmigrant visa appointment?
Please go to http://monrovia.usembassy.gov/nonimmigrant_visas.html for complete instructions on the visa application process – costs, required forms, procedures, and how to make an appointment for a visa interview.
2. How do I reschedule/cancel an appointment?
To apply for a non-immigrant visa, applicants should call our operation center in Dakar, Senegal to book an appointment for the interview; the number is 00-221-33-869-6300. To call the number, applicants must purchase a special calling card sold at Orbit or Fushia and BH Shour on Randall and Water streets in Monrovia respectively.
For student visas, applicants will need to show proof of an acceptance letter from the school they wish to attend and all necessary documents pertaining to student visas, including: Form 1-901, which the sponsor will have to obtain in the U.S. (a fee of $200 is required for this form), $131.00, the interview fee, and an affidavit of support from the student’s financial sponsor, along with the most recent 1040(W-2) and proof of citizenship.
Information on the application forms DS-156, 157 and 158 can be obtained at the American Embassy web page http://monrovia.usembassy.gov/nonimmigrant_visas.html.
After making an initial appointment, you may reschedule it once for free. If you fail to appear for your scheduled appointment, you will need to make another call to Dakar to reschedule your appointment.
3. Why was not I admitted for my visa interview appointment because of a minor error in my name/passport number?
As a result of past abuse of the consular appointment system and to ensure a prompt and efficient process for all visa applicants, we require that the data that an applicant supplies when making an appointment must MATCH EXACTLY the data on the passport. There are no exceptions to this policy.
4. I was robbed of (or lost) my passport which bears a valid American visa. What should I do?
A visa is only valid for the person to whom it was issued; if you lose your passport, the visa cannot lawfully be used by another person. If you do not recover your passport, as soon as possible report the loss/theft to the appropriate Liberian authorities and the U.S. Embassy.
The United States does not replace lost visas. If your passport has been lost or stolen, you must reapply for a new visa.
5. When will the administrative processing on my case be completed?
It is impossible to predict when administrative processing for a given visa case will be completed, because all visa applications are treated individually. We will contact visa applicants directly when administrative processing is completed.
We advise all visa applicants to apply well in advance of planned travel to the United States.
6. Can I get an expedited appointment? I need to travel urgently.
All visa applicants must make an appointment. If you cannot obtain an appointment before planned travel, you may e-mail the Consular Section at consularmonrovia@state.gov to request an earlier appointment. You should make an appointment with the Dakar call center before requesting an expedited appointment, even if the appointment is too late. Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to honor your request. If you have an existing appointment, please do not cancel it until you have received an email reply from the Consular Section confirming your expedited appointment.
7. How do I pay the visa application fee?
You can pay the $131 visa application fee in U.S. currency on the day of the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia.
8. I’m applying for a student visa. How do I pay the SEVIS fee?
We welcome Liberian student visa applicants and are pleased you are considering study in the United States. Detailed information about student visas, including required forms and fees, is available on the State department’s website at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html#sevis.
9. I am unable to come in person to pick up my visa. Can I send someone?
We request that you pick up your visa personally, or if you wish to send another person, to indicate the name at the time of the visa interview. That person should bring with them the claim ticket you received on the day of your interview, as well as photo identification. This is to prevent unauthorized individuals from getting your passport and visa without your knowledge.
Consular staff will not release the visa without a claim ticket and valid ID. The Embassy declines all responsibility once the visa has been released to an individual.
10. My passport will expire in less than six months after my trip. Can I use it for the visa application?
No. Immigration regulations of the United States and many other countries require that passports be valid for at least six months beyond the date of planned travel. If your passport is due to expire within six months of your planned travel, please renew your passport.
11. My baby is endorsed on my passport. Can we use the same passport for our visa applications?
Yes. For the security and convenience of the traveler, however, the Embassy recommends that each individual have his or her own passport.
12. What documents does one need to “prove socio-economic ties to Liberia?”
All applicants for nonimmigrant visas to the United States must demonstrate to a consular officer at the time of the visa interview that they have sufficient social, economic, family or other ties to Liberia that would require them to return to Liberia at the end of a temporary stay in the United States. As every visa applicant is different, there is no specific or required way to demonstrate such ties. No particular documents by themselves are proof of such ties.
Applicants should be prepared to discuss and demonstrate to the consular officer their purpose of travel and socio-economic ties to Liberia. Applicants may present any supporting evidence of such ties that they wish. Presentation of particular documents is not a guarantee of visa issuance, and consular officers may request to see any proof they consider helpful to visa adjudication.
Since there is no document that a visa applicant must have, there is no advantage to presenting false or fraudulent documents in support of a visa application. Engaging in fraud for visa purposes can make one permanently ineligible for a visa. All supporting documents should be sent directly to the applicant, as we do not receive documents on behalf of visa applicants.
13. Do I need an invitation letter?
No. An invitation letter is not required, and presentation of an invitation letter is no guarantee of visa issuance. We understand the desire of American citizens, companies and organizations to invite foreign individuals to the United States, and they are welcome to do so, but it is the applicant, and the applicant alone, who must qualify for a visa.
14. We are scheduled to travel as a group, but are unable to get the same appointment date for all members. Is that a problem?
No. We will be happy to interview members whenever they can obtain appointments. All members of a group must qualify individually for a visa.
15. How soon may I reapply after a visa denial?
In almost all cases a visa denial is not permanent. Applicants may reapply at any time. We strongly recommend, however, that applicants only reapply if they believe that their circumstances have changed, or they are able to present additional compelling evidence of their socio-economic ties to Liberia.
16. Can my family come with me for a visa interview even if they don’t have appointments?
Family members may accompany applicants who may require assistance (such as minor children, the elderly or disabled), but a consular officer will not interview family members who seek visas without an appointment. All visa applicants must make a visa appointment for the visa interview.
17. I am sending documents to support a visa application. Can you include them with the visa application?
No. We cannot know in advance when or if a particular applicant will apply for a visa. We have extremely limited storage space at the Embassy and cannot hold documents to be added to a future application. Please provide the documents directly to the applicant to present at the time of visa interview.