Non-Immigrant Visa Application Process
Personal Interview Required:
All members of the general public who wish to obtain a visa must appear for an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Pavas.
Appointment System
To make an appointment and to receive information on what to bring to the visa interview, please contact our Call Center at: 0-800-052-1465 Monday thru Friday from 8-6PM. There is a $14 fee for this call.
How to Make a Visa Appointment:
- With a valid credit card through the call center (VISA or Mastercard) or
- A Personal Information Number (PIN) purchased at any branch of Banco Nacional in Costa Rica.
- Applicants may use the PIN to call multiple times for information and appointment scheduling, up to a total of 8 minutes of service. Applicants can schedule appointments for up to five immediate family members with a single PIN.
- The Call Center operator will ask for passport information for each applicant. Please have your passport ready before you make the call.
- Calling from the United States: Applicants or applicants’ family members in the United States can contact the Call Center from the United States by dialing: 1-866-535-6189 Monday thru Friday from 6-8PM.
The Call Center tries to schedule appointments for dates convenient for the applicant. At times, some dates may not be available. Click here to see current visa wait times.
When is an Appointment Not Required?
If you are a citizen or legal resident of Costa Rica, you do not need an appointment if you are applying for an Official Visa (A or G), a Student Visa (F or M), an Exchange Visitor Visa (J), or certain types of work visas (H1B, L, O, P, and I). You may apply in person, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM. All other visa types require an appointment. If you are NOT a citizen or resident of Costa Rica, you must make an appointment through the Call Center for all types of visas.
How to Pay for the Visa Interview
An application fee of $131 (payable in colones) must be paid at a branch of Banco Nacional before your interview. Upon payment, Banco Nacional will provide you with a receipt for the fee. Please bring the receipt to your interview.
Documents and Forms
Each applicant must present the following required documents:
- Application forms (Form DS-156 and, for males ages 16 through 45, Form DS-157) completed online and printed out so the three inch bar code appears at the bottom of the form;
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from date of proposed travel;
- Receipt for payment of the $131 application fee (in colones) from any Banco Nacional; and
- An unmounted full face photo taken within the past six months. (A photographer is available at the Embassy at minimal cost.) The photo should be 2’ X 2 inches (in color against a white background.) The photo must be clearly in focus facing the camera with the face covering about 50% of the photo. Eyeglasses, hats, or anything that covers the face must be removed before taking the photo.
In addition, applicants for certain types of visas are required to present additional documentation. Please consult the links at the left for additional information.
Qualifying for a Visa
To receive a visa, all B-1, B-2, F-1, F-2, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, J-1, J-2, M-1, M-2, O-2, P-1, P-2, P-3, and Q-1 applicants must qualify under Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This section provides:
"Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa... that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status..."
Under this standard, each applicant must demonstrate that he or she has a permanent residence outside of the U.S. that he or she does not intend to abandon. The burden of proof is on the applicant to show that he or she qualifies for the visa. Proof may come in many forms, but when considered together, it must be strong enough for the interviewing officer to conclude that the applicant’s ties to Costa Rica (or other country of residence) will compel him or her to return at the end of a temporary stay in the United States.
Evidence of Ties
“Ties” are aspects of an applicant’s life that bind him or her to a place of residence. Ties may include family relationships, employment, educational status, property ownership, and the applicant’s overall social and economic circumstances. In the case of younger applicants, the interviewing officers may look to the ties and circumstances of the applicant’s family. As each person's situation is different, there is no set answer as to what constitutes “adequate ties.”
During the interview, each applicant should be prepared to provide convincing, original evidence of the applicant's (and the immediate family’s) long-term economic, family, academic and personal ties that would compel the applicant to return home after a short visit to the United States. This evidence can include the following:
- Evidence of property ownership.
- Bank account statements for at least the past 3 months. Statements that show both the current balance and account history (debits and credits) are most useful.
- If you are a company employee: Evidence of income (including 6 months of ordenes patronales) years of service and authorized vacation time.
- If you are a business owner: Evidence of business income (including business bank accounts), business licenses, profitability, tax payments, and property ownership. If your business has employees, please bring the planilla from the Caja de Seguridad Social.
- If you are a farmer: Evidence of sales of your agricultural product(s), property ownership, and savings.
- If you are retired: Evidence of your pension, savings, and your children’s employment.
- If you are a full time student: Evidence of your academic record, focus of study, and your parents’ or guardians’ employment and ties to Costa Rica (see above).
Please note we cannot accept income certificates prepared by accountants or lawyers. We no longer accept bank statements sent directly by banks. All applicants for non-immigrant visas must bring their bank statements with them to the visa interview.
For Minor Children Applicants
For applicants under the age of 15, both parents should attend the interview. Parents should present the child’s birth certificate, along with their own passport or ID card. Legal guardians must show proof of custody of all minor children. Parents and guardians must show an exit travel permit from the National Child Welfare Agency, issued by the Immigration Department. Except under extraordinary circumstances, a failure by either parent to attend the visa interview may result in a refusal of the visa.
Previous Passports, Visas, and Travel to the U.S.
While not determinative, an applicant’s use of a previous U.S. visa is an important factor in determining his or her qualifications. If you have traveled to the U.S. before, please bring your prior passports with U.S. visas and entry stamps to the interview.
Previous refusals
If your visa application has been recently refused, please note that there is no appeal process. The decision of the officer on that application is final.
You are permitted to reapply at any time. If you reapply soon after a refusal, however, your application will likely be refused again unless there has been a significant change in your personal circumstances. We therefore recommend that applicants whose applications have been recently refused wait to reapply until they have established stronger ties to their country of residence.
Approved visas
If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport for processing. Passports are returned for pickup at a DHL office chosen by the applicant. The cost of this service is 2450 colones. Delivery usually takes 3 to 4 business days.
Emergency Visas
Unfortunately, the Embassy cannot accept direct requests for emergency visa appointments. All such appointments must be processed via the Call Center. Please do not send faxes or call the Embassy requesting an appointment, as this will delay your request. If you have an urgent need for a visa and need to travel before the next available interview appointment, please follow the instructions above to call the Call Center at 0-800-052-1465. Inform the operator that you need to travel to the United States urgently. You will need to explain the nature of the emergency to the Call Center. Emergencies include important business meetings or conferences, emergency medical treatment, and serious illness or death of a close family member.
Applicants from Visa Waiver Countries
Citizens of countries that participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program may travel to the U.S. without a visa if they meet the requirements for the program. Details on the Visa Waiver Program can be found here.
If your passport does not meet the requirements for the Visa Waiver Program (for example, a replacement passport issued by your embassy here in Costa Rica), you will need a visa to travel to the U.S. If you are temporarily in Costa Rica, you may apply for a visa without an appointment Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 9 AM. Residents of Costa Rica who are citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries will need to apply for a visa through the regular appointment process. Please allow at least 1 week between your interview and your departure. Last minute applications could face problems due to computer processing delays or passport delivery.
Contact information
For further answers to questions on the process, please consult the State Department’s web site. Additional inquiries should be directed via email to: consularsanjose@state.gov. We make every effort to respond to emails within 5 working days. We are unable to routinely respond to inquiries sent by letter or fax
- What to do if Refused a Visa?
- My application was refused under Section 214(b). If I bring in more documents will I receive a visa?
- What does a consular officer look for during a visa interview?
- I am a legal resident of Costa Rica. Why don’t I qualify?
- Why didn’t they tell me when I called that I would not get a visa?
- Why can’t I have my money back?
- May I appeal a visa refusal?
- I have had difficulties during my travel screening at transportation hubs, such as airports and train stations, or crossing U.S. Borders. Whom may I contact?
- I have a valid
U.S. visa in my old passport, but I just renewed my passport. How can
I pass my visa to my new passport?
- I want to RENEW my visa, but I
don't see the instructions for how to renew on the website. What
should I do?
- Who may accompany me to the visa interview?
- How long will I wait in line for my visa interview?
- How long is the average interview?
If your application for a nonimmigrant visa has been refused, you will be told why at the interview and provided with a written explanation. The most common refusals are under Section 221(g) and Section 214(b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act.
Under Section 221(g) additional legal requirements must be met before the visa can be authorized.
You will not have to pay another application fee if the legal requirements are found to be met within one year.
Section 214(b) of U.S. Immigration Law presumes that applicants for nonimmigrant visas are intending immigrants and must be denied visas unless they provide convincing evidence of family, social, and economic ties to a residence abroad. Refusals under Section 214(b) mean that you have not overcome the legal presumption that you are an intending immigrant.
The fact that you were refused under Section 214(b) does not mean that you will be refused again in the future. A refusal under Section 214(b) means that, at this time, under your present employment, social or other circumstances, the consular officer was not satisfied that you had met U.S. visa requirements.
If you reapply after being refused under Section 214(B) INA, you must complete a new application and pay another application fee.
Applying for a non-immigrant visa is not primarily a document-based process. The main issue in determining if an applicant qualifies for a visa is intent, and documents alone can not establish intentions. In some cases, documents can help establish an applicant’s intent to return to Costa Rica by showing that the applicant is well established here. In other cases, the circumstances are clear enough that documents are unnecessary. If your visa application has been refused it is highly unlikely that any document you could provide would alter the consular officer’s decision.
In addition to U.S. security, the officer considers the applicant’s personal travel plans, financial resources, and ties outside the United States that will ensure his\her departure after a temporary visit.
Many recent immigrants to Costa Rica cannot demonstrate sufficiently strong ties here to qualify for a non-immigrant visa to the United States. There is no magic formula that will work in each case. In general, you must be able to show that you have settled in Costa Rica and that this is, and will remain, your permanent home. In reviewing your application, the consular officer considered many aspects such as: How long have you been at your current address? How long have you been at your current job? Are you, or are your children enrolled in school? What commitments do you have here that would compel you to return to Costa Rica? What social ties do you have in Costa Rica? Often it is a question of time, and the best way to qualify for a visa is to reside in Costa Rica for a longer period of time and to build further social and economic ties here.
Each visa application is thoroughly examined and evaluated on its own merits. Since it is impossible to obtain all relevant facts without seeing your passport and completed application, we are unable to tell you by phone whether you will receive a visa. Our telephone information system, as well as information distributed on the Internet, is designed to give general information regarding the visa application process and suggest types of documents that might help demonstrate eligibility for a U.S. visa. However, in no circumstances is someone able to guarantee in advance that you will receive a U.S. visa.
The fee that you paid is an application fee. Everyone who applies for a U.S. visa anywhere in the world must pay this fee, which covers the cost of reviewing your application. As the application form states, this fee is non-refundable regardless of whether you are issued a visa or not. If your application was refused under Section 214(b) and you choose to reapply for a visa, whether at this Embassy or elsewhere, you will be required to pay the application fee again.
Visa interviews are conducted by commissioned officers of the United States Government, and they have broad discretion in visa matters. Their decisions in visa cases, while subject to review by supervisory consular personnel, are final. There is no right of appeal. Refused applicants who believe they qualify for visa issuance may reapply- see
Question 1 for information on the procedure.
If you have had difficulties with your travel screening, and possessed a proper visa at the time of your travel screening, you should contact the
Traveler Redress Inquiry
Program (TRIP).
It is not necessary to renew the visa until it expires. You may travel
with both passports. However, if you wish to renew, you must make an
appointment, pay the interview fee, and apply as if it were the first
time. See the section entitled "non-immigrant visa application
process."
10. I want to RENEW my visa, but
I don't see the instructions for how to renew on the website. What should
I do?
The process is the same as if you were applying for the first time. See
the section entitled "non-immigrant visa application
process."
Visa interviews are between the
applicant and the interviewing consular officer, and third parties (e.g. family
members, friends, business associates, attorneys, etc.) will be directed to
take a seat during the course of the interview. At the discretion of
the interviewing officer, third parties may be asked to provide information
pertinent to the applicant's qualifications.
On a typical day, the Embassy schedules 250-350 visa interviews. Our goal is to interview everyone within three hours from the time of entry onto the Embassy compound. For example, if you have an appointment at 8:00 AM, you will be permitted to enter the compound at 7:30 (30 minutes before the scheduled time), and you should be interviewed before 10:30. During this time, an employee will assist you with the automated queueing system, your application will be reviewed for completeness and entered into a database, and your fingerprints will be scanned by a digital reader. The wait time could vary - shorter or longer - depending on a variety of factors. The Embassy provides chairs and restrooms for those waiting in line, and a vendor sells drinks and snacks. Due to the long wait, we recommend applicants bring something to read.
On average, the interview will last 3-5 minutes, but can vary depending on the complexity of the case. The interviewers must complete mandatory checks of the database (name and date of birth, fingerprints and photo recognition) for each applicant, and enter notes into the system. All interviewing officers are American citizens and commissioned officers of the Foreign Service of the United States.
Contact Information
If you have any additional questions please contact at consularsanjose@state.gov. Please allow up to 5 business days for a response.
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Non immigrant Visas
