Your application for revalidation (or renewal) of an 'H,' 'L,' 'O,' or 'P' visa will be considered upon receipt of the documents and/or information listed below. Before mailing your visa package please check carefully to ensure that all required items are included. Departures from these guidelines usually will result in visa refusal and long delays:

1. A passport valid for at least (6) months. The passport (or accompanying previous passport) must contain a previous visa bearing the same classification as that which is now being sought. A visa may be revalidated if it has a remaining validity of not more than sixty (60) days, or has not been expired for more than one year. Each applicant will receive an individual visa, and each Machine Readable Visa (MVR) covers a full page. Therefore, passports must contain a blank, unmarked visa page for each U.S. visa to be placed in the passport.

2. The original Form I-94 annotated by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Inspector when s/he was last admitted to the United States. The original I-94 should remain firmly stapled in your passport at all times. If the Form I-94 has expired, you should submit a valid Form I-797 Notice of Approval from the INS for each visa applicant.

3. A valid Employment Petition (Form I-797) issued by the INS must be submitted. The form will indicate the applicant's current employer and the approved extension of temporary stay.

4. A comprehensive letter from the principal alien's employer identifying the applicant and describing in detail the nature and function of the position, the kind of business and what it does, and justifying the need for the visa. The letter submitted must be on the letterhead of the current employer, with an original signature from the company representative and must be addressed to the Visa Office, Department of State. The Visa Office cannot accept letters signed by the visa applicant. If the visa applicant is the sole employee of the company in the United States, the latest copy of the company's FICA and IRS forms must be submitted along with the applicant's letter of explanation. Please include the company's fax number. (Employment Verification Letter)

5. A typed Form OF-156 (Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form) with one passport size photograph, with white or light background, for each applicant regardless of age. The photographs must be attached to the respective forms in the designated place. Please spell out the month of birth (i.e., write "January 2," NOT 1\2or 2/1). Incomplete or improperly filled out applications are returned without visas.

6. If the spouse and/or dependent children are applying for visas separately from the principal alien certified copies of the principal alien's visa and valid I-94 (front and back) must be submitted in addition to all other requirements.

7. There is a required $45 non-refundable fee for each Machine Readable Visa. Payment may be made by bank draft, money order, or corporate check made to the order of the "U.S. Department of State. "Cash or personal checks are not acceptable.In addition, certain nationalities must also pay a "reciprocity fee." The amount of these fees varies from country to country. In the case of multiple applicants, payment of all MRVs may be consolidated in one check, and all reciprocity fees in another. However, you may not combine payment for both fees in one single check.

8. This office does not have direct contact with the public. All transactions take place via U.S. mail or commercial courier. While we do not recommend any particular service, FEDERAL EXPRESS picks up daily directly from our offices. The office's mailroom is in a different building; items sent via U.S. Postal Service take at least two extra days each way. Include a prepaid airbill for the carrier of your choice to return the documents to you. If you opt for the U.S. Postal Service, you must provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the postal service of your choice. For safety reasons, U.S. Postal Inspectors recommend that passports sent via the U.S. Postal Service should be mailed in padded envelopes. If you make no provisions for the return of your documents, we will return them via ordinary surface mail.

Application packages must be mailed to:

All incomplete cases (prior refusals) being returned to the Visa Office with additional documentation necessary to continue processing should be sent to:

CA/VO/P/D2401 E Street, N.W.
2401 E Street, N.W.
Room L-701
Washington, D.C. 20522-1016

Such cases will be treated by the Visa Office as new applicants and will start at the beginning of the reissuance process.

No more than one family per package. Processing time depends on seasonal demand. It is best to allow a minimum of three weeks from the date of receipt. In all fairness, this office adheres to a strict first-come, first-served policy. If there are time constraints surrounding your application, please do not submit it. Instead, we urge you to apply for the visa at an overseas U.S. diplomatic or consular office.

If you need additional information, please call us at (202) 663-1213. Our staff answers your questions daily, except weekends and holidays, between the hours of 2:00PM and 4:00PM (Eastern Time). A recording provides general information at all other times. You may also reach us by fax at (202) 663-1608.

Supplemental Nonimmigrant VISA Application

The only exceptions are as follows: Applicants for A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, NATO-6 and TECRO E-1 visas are not required to submit a DS-157. Also, all applicants for crew-list visas are exempt from the DS-157 requirement.Please Note: This form is required for all male A-3, G-5, and NATO-7 applicants between the ages of 16 and 45, as well as for all male C (C-1, C-2 and C-3) and D applicants between the ages of 16 and 45.

The DS-157 is used in conjunction with the DS-156 to determine visa classification and eligibility. Regardless of the exceptions listed above, consular officers reserve the right to require a DS-157 from any applicant for any visa classification.

The DS-157 is now available. Click here to get the DS-157.

Commonly Requested Reciprocity Fees

Extension of Stay in the U.S.

A visa is granted by the Department of State, either by the Visa Office in St. Louis, MO or at one of our Consulates or Embassies outside of the U.S.

Permission to enter and/or remain in the United States and extension of stay in this country are granted by the Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

Upon entering the United States, the INS Office at the port of entry places in your passport or laisser-passer a small white card, Form I-94. On this card the INS officer writes in either a date or "D/S" (duration of status). The date on the Form I-94 is controlling. That is, if you have "duration of status" you may remain in the U.S. as long as you are in the same job or same category of job. If you have a date on your Form I-94, you should apply for your extension of stay with INS prior to its expiry.

The Department of State has no authority to extend your stay or change the information/date on the Form I-94. A visa is used solely to make application to INS to re-enter the U.S. after being outside of this country. That is, a visa is used only to cross borders and has nothing to do with the length of your stay in the U.S.

To obtain more information, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/revals.html
To obtain a form OF-156, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html#of156