The Embassy periodically receives emails from visa applicants about the legitimacy of non-U.S. government websites (e.g., addresses ending with “.com,” “.org” or “.net”) claiming to “expedite” the visa application process and claiming a very high success rate in getting their clients U.S. visas.
Many of these non-governmental websites provide legitimate and useful immigration and visa-related information and services. Regardless of the content of other websites, however, the Department of State does not endorse, recommend, or sponsor any information or material shown on these other websites. The information provided may not be correct or up-to-date, so should always be verified by consulting an official U.S. government source. Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.
Some websites and emails try to mislead customers and members of the public into thinking they are official U.S. government websites. These websites are designed to appear official, and often have images of the U.S. flag, U.S. Capitol, White House, or Statue of Liberty. What these websites and emails are missing is the “.gov” suffix on their addresses. Remember that anything that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect.
Visa information on official U.S. government websites ending in “.gov” is official and correct. Official U.S. government email addresses also end in “.gov,” and any visa-related correspondence coming from an address that does not end with “.gov” should be considered suspect.
Your primary source for official visa and immigration information is the U.S. Embassy Suriname website: https://sr.usembassy.gov/
For detailed information on how to know if a website or email is from the U.S. government, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fraud.html
Here are other U.S. government websites containing official visa and immigration information, including free information and forms:
- Department of State, Consular Affairs travel website: https://travel.state.gov
- Department of State, Diversity Visa Lottery website: http://www.dvlottery.state.gov
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): https://www.dhs.gov/
- DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: https://www.uscis.gov/
- DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection: https://www.cbp.gov/
- DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement: https://www.ice.gov/
- Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov
If you still have questions after reviewing these websites, you may always email the Embassy’s Consular team at caparamar@state.gov.
