U.S. GOVERNMENT > Foreign Policy and International Affairs

U.S. GOVERNMENT > Foreign Policy and International Affairs > Who from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, Needs a Nonimmigrant Visa to Enter the United States Temporarily?

Who from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, Needs a Nonimmigrant Visa to Enter the United States Temporarily?

Canada
Mexico
Bermuda
How to Apply for a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate if you are a Third Country National Present in the United States or Visiting Canada
Appointments are Required
Who May Not Apply for a Visa at an Embassy or Consulate at the U.S. Border?
Hours of Operation
Additional Information
Exclusion from Revalidation of Certain Nonimmigrant Visa

Canada

Currently, Canadian citizens need proof of both their identity and citizenship in order to apply for entry into the U.S. At present, this identification does not have to be a passport, but this is changing. To learn more about document requirements to enter the U.S., see Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). For complete details about the new travel requirements under WHTI, review the Customs and Border Protection website.

Citizens of Canada traveling to the U.S. do not require a nonimmigrant visa, except for the purposes as described below.

Foreign government officials (A), officials and employees of international organizations (G) and NATO officials, representatives and employees assigned to the U.S. as needed to facilitate their travel
Treaty traders (E-1)
Treaty investors (E-2)
Fiance/es (K-1)
Children of fiancées (K-2)
U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3).
Children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above
Spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process
Children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above

Permanent residents (aka landed immigrants) of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less under that program.

Additional resources regarding procedures for Canadian visitors to the United States can be found on the U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites in Canada. Learn more about requirements for Canadian citizens planning business travel to the U.S.

Mexico

Citizens and permanent residents of Mexico generally must have a nonimmigrant visa or Border Crossing Card (also known as a "Laser Visa"). The Border Crossing Card, Form DSP-150 is a biometric, machine readable, visitor B1-B2 visa/Border Crossing Card that may be used to enter the U.S. from within the Western Hemisphere. Select Border Crossing Card to learn more about the requirements for this card.

Select U.S. Embassies/Consulates to go to consular sections in Canada and Mexico for more information about getting your nonimmigrant visa.

Also to learn more about U.S. entry requirements from Canada and Mexico, select Foreign Visitors Entering the U.S. from Canada or Mexico to visit the DHS U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

Bermuda

Citizens of the British Overseas Territories of Bermuda do not require a visa unless they have a criminal ineligibility, or have previously violated the terms of their immigration status in the United States. Currently, citizens of Bermuda need proof of both their identity and citizenship in order to apply for entry into the U.S. At present, this identification does not have to be a passport, but this is changing. To learn more about travel requirements for U.S. and Bermudian citizens entering the U.S., see Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) for complete details. Additional information about new documents for travel under WHTI, review Customs and Border Protection website.

Additionally, Citizens of the Overseas Territories of Bermuda require nonimmigrant visas when traveling to the U.S. for these purposes:

Foreign government officials (A), and officials and employees of international organizations (G)
Fiance/es (K-1)
Children of fiancées (K-2)
U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3)
Children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above
Spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process
Children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above

How To Apply For a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate If You Are a Third Country National Present In The United States Or Visiting Canada

Appointments are Required

Any third country national (TCN)* present in the United States and visitors present in Canada or Mexico who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the Embassy or consulates in Canada or Mexico, must make an appointment for an interview. U.S. Consulates are located in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana.

* Please note that embassies and consulates along the U.S. border can no longer accept applications from non-resident TCNs who are nationals of the six countries currently designated as state sponsors of terrorism. For more information, please see the Notice: Special Visa Processing Procedures Pursuant to Section 306 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002.

Appointments by Telephone: If you are in the United States and you wish to schedule an appointment, you should call 1-900-443-3131; in Canada you should call 1-900-451-2778. Callers from the United States or Canada wishing to charge the cost of the call to a credit card may schedule an appointment by calling 1-888-840-0032. Unlike the 1-900 numbers, which are blocked from most hotel, office or pay telephones, the credit card line can be accessed from virtually any telephone. The appointment system requires a touch-tone phone; a push-button rotary phone will not work.

Appointments by Internet: Applicants can book appointments via the Internet . Each appointment costs $9.50 Canadian, which will be charged to a major credit card. Applicants are advised to have their credit card information handy.

After your appointment is scheduled, you will be mailed an information packet for the post where you will be applying. Please DO NOT call an individual post directly to request an appointment. They can only be scheduled by calling the appropriate 1-900 or 1-888 telephone number or by using the Internet.

Who May Not Apply for a Visa at an Embassy or Consulate at the U.S. Border?

Individuals who have been out of status in the United States because they violated the terms of their visa or overstayed the validity indicated on their I-94 are not eligible to apply at a border post. In other words, if you have remained in the U.S. longer than the period authorized by the immigration officer when you entered the U.S. in any visa category, you must apply in the country of your nationality or legal permanent residence. If you are not certain about your status, check with the nearest U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security office.

U.S. embassies and consulates routinely do not accept applications for "E" visas from third country national applicants who are not resident in their consular districts.

Hours of Operation

Operators are available from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. Eastern Time. Callers may have difficulty getting through if they call during the peak times of 7 A.M., 11 A.M., 2 P.M., 4:30 P.M. and 7 P.M. Eastern Time. Appointments for embassies and consulates outside the Eastern Time Zone can only be made after it is 7 A.M. in the embassy or consulate's time zone. The Internet system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Additional Information

Applicants who are unable to attend their scheduled appointments must cancel them two full working days prior to the appointment by calling toll-free to 1-888-611-6676.

Visa applicants should take their appointment letters to the interview. They may be admitted without one, but absence of the letter could cause delays.

Certain nationalities require visas from Canadian authorities in order to enter Canada.

Individuals who are already in the U.S. and remain in legal status are encouraged to apply at non-border U.S. embassies and consulates in conjunction with foreign travel for business or pleasure. Those who plan to visit Canada, Mexico or, in the cases of students and exchange visitors, adjacent islands, may re-enter the U.S. within thirty days on expired visas as long as they possess a valid I-94 form unless they are excluded from automatic revalidation, as noted below.

Exclusion from Automatic Revalidation of Certain Nonimmigrant Visas

The U.S. Government has undertaken a variety of efforts since September 11 to enhance border security. Anyone who has applied for and been refused visa issuance at a border post is prohibited from re-admission to the United States in the same visa category, even though they are in possession of a valid I-94 form. Aliens who are citizens of countries on the State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism are prohibited from re-entering the U.S. using solely an I-94 form if their visa has expired.

Citizens from State Sponsors of Terrorism countries must obtain a new visa (and thus go through a new set of interviews, computer checks, etc.) rather than re-enter the U.S. using solely their I-94 form.

June 2006