- How to Apply
- Case Status
- After the Interview
The U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo is accepting in-person visa interview, interview waiver, and renewal application appointments. Appointments can be made online via our scheduling system at: NIV Appointment System (state.gov).
To be eligible for an appointment, you must be a:
- Surinamese citizen; OR
- A French citizen normally living in or residing in French Guiana; OR
- A third-country national legally resident in Suriname or French Guiana.
We are not accepting any E visa applications at this time.
Labor Certification – Some temporary worker visa categories require your prospective employer to obtain a labor certification or other approval from the Department of Labor on your behalf before filing the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, with USCIS. Your prospective employer should review the Instructions for Form I-129 on the USCIS website to determine whether labor certification is required for you.
Petition Approval – Some temporary worker categories are limited in total number of petitions which can be approved on a yearly basis. Before you can apply for a temporary worker visa at the U.S. Embassy in Belarus, a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, must be filed on your behalf by a prospective employer and be approved by USCIS. For more information about the petition process, eligibility requirements by visa category, and numerical limits, if applicable, see Working in the U.S. and Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers on the USCIS website. Once the petition is approved, USCIS will send your prospective employer a Notice of Action, Form I-797.
Step 1. Check the Validity of Your Passport
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States, unless exempt by country-specific agreements.
If more than one person in your family is traveling, each person needs their own visa and their own appointment.
Step 2. Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
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- Completed Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
- Completed DS-157 and DS-158 forms
Please note that you must answer EVERY question on the application forms. If the answer to a question is “none,” please write “none”(Do not leave it blank). Incomplete/incorrect forms will be returned and will require you to schedule a new interview appointment.
Important! Many of our visa applicants are completing the DS-160 incorrectly, causing us to postpone their planned visa interview dates.
The DS-160 must be completed and submitted before an interview can be scheduled.
Step 3. Collect any Supporting Documentation
Only a valid passport, DS-160 confirmation page, a 2 x 2 inch color photo not older than 6 months – with a light or white background and without eyewear, and the forms listed in Step 2 are required for the visa interview. Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of:
- The purpose of your trip;
- Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
- Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.
If you would like to travel to the United States for medical treatment, please bring the following documents with you to your interview:
- A statement from your doctor diagnosing your ailment;
- A translation of that document into English;
- Evidence that treatment of your ailment is available in the United States;
- Evidence of your appointment;
- Estimate of cost of treatment;
- Evidence of ability to pay for the cost.
Note: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends.
We do not require invitations for business or private trips.
If you choose to present an invitation or letter from your relative, friend, or business contact in the U.S., please bring it with you on the day of your interview. Please do not send invitations or letters directly to the Embassy.
There is no guarantee that you will be issued a visa. The above documents will assist the Consular Officer in making a final determination of eligibility.
Because invitations are not required documents, they may be presented in any format, such as email or fax. There is no need to notarize an invitation, and there is no standard format.
Step 4. Schedule an Interview Appointment
We recommend that you schedule visa interviews appointment at least one month before you intend to travel. It is your responsibility to ensure that there is enough time to complete the visa application process before traveling to the United States. Processing wait time does not include the time required for additional administrative processing or special requirements. In such cases, processing wait time will vary based on the individual circumstances of each application.
We strongly urge that you do not purchase tickets until you have your visa in hand.
You can schedule your appointment on line clicking here. This link will also provide instructions on how to fill out the form. For Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Electronic Appointment System click here.
To schedule an appointment, you must be prepared to provide the following information to the Electronic Non-Immigrant Visa Appointment System: your name, passport number, telephone number, and (if possible) an e-mail address. You should have a printer connected to your computer to print out an appointment confirmation sheet, or, if you do not have a printer, you should hand copy appointment confirmation information onto a sheet of paper. If you need to cancel an appointment, please do so at least a day in advance, so that we can give your appointment slot to another applicant.
IMPORTANT: At the end of the appointment scheduling process, the system will generate an Appointment Confirmation Sheet. This sheet has your personal data, the time and date of your visa appointment, and your appointment confirmation code. Should you need to cancel your appointment, the system will ask for the confirmation code. If you do not have the code, you will not be able to cancel your appointment. If you do not cancel your existing appointment, the system will not allow you to make a new appointment until after you scheduled interview date is past.
Step 5. Pay the Fee
On the day of your interview, please pay the following nonrefundable visa application fees: $ 185 for B-1 (Business) and B-2 (Tourism & Visit) nonimmigrant visas; $ 205 for H, L, O, P, Q, and R visas; and $ 315 for E visas.
You are encouraged to pay your fees with Surinamese dollars (SRD). Due to Surinamese bank restrictions, the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo is unable to accept U.S. dollar banknotes of any year which are worn, torn, or defaced. If you intend to pay with U.S. dollars, please ensure the banknotes are in good condition
Important! If your visa is approved, you may also have to pay a visa issuance fee, depending on the country of which you are a citizen and the type of visa issued. If applicable, you will be notified at the end of your interview.
Step 6. Interview for your visa with the Consular Officer
- Please bring the following documents to the Consular Section at the appointed date and time:
- Appropriate non-refundable visa application fee, payable in U.S. dollars or the equivalent in SRD
- your passport (valid at least another 6 months from intended date of departure from the U.S.)
- bio data confirmation page with a barcode of visa Application Form DS-160
- appointment confirmation page that the electronic appointment scheduling system will give you once you have scheduled your appointment on line
- 1 unmounted 5 x 5 cm, full face color photograph without any eyewear
- proof of your economic, social, family and other ties to Suriname
Step 7. Return to Collect Your Passport and Visa
If your visa is approved, you will be notified of the date and time at which you can return to the Embassy to collect your passport and visa.