Bahasa Indonesia version

I'd like to go for a visa interview. How do I go about applying for a visa?

Most applicants for non-immigrant visas (tourist, business, or student) must have an appointment to apply in person and have an interview with a consular officer.  Such applications are accepted Monday through Friday. In the vast majority of cases, visa applicants apply for visas using the online appointment system which can be found here.

I am applying for a visa for my son or daughter. Do they need to come for the interview, as well?

The consular officer can waive the personal appearance requirement for any applicant under 14 years old.  In some cases, however, the consular officer will want to see or speak with a younger child.  Please consult with a consular officer at the time of your interview.  Please note that a consular officer can require that any applicant under 18 be accompanied by his/her parent or legal guardian at the time of the interview.

I have a visa that is still valid in my old passport, but the passport has expired. Can I still use that visa, or do I need to get it transferred to my new passport?

No, Indonesians, and most other nationalities, visiting the United States must present a currently valid passport issued by their own country and a valid visa issued by the United States . As long as the visa has not expired, it can continue to be used to enter the U.S. , even if the visa is in an old, expired passport.  In that case, the visitor must carry both the new passport and the old passport, containing the still valid visa. Anyone who wants a new visa placed in their new passport must follow the normal procedure to apply for a new visa, including paying the application fee and attending a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy.

As a tourist, what should I bring with me to my visa interview?

You must bring a valid passport, the $131 visa processing fee payable in Rupiah for each applicant (including children), and a recent color passport-type photograph (full frontal face). Please see photo requirements  for specifications. Those are the only mandatory documents needed at the time of the visa interview.

You can help your case by bringing in proof that you have strong ties to Indonesia and will come back to Indonesia after a brief stay in the United States . Thus, you should bring anything you think would help persuade a consular officer that you are not an intending immigrant in the United States and that you do not have to work while in the United States . You may consider bringing documents regarding property (deeds and/or sales contracts for houses, apartments, and property), work (work contracts, salary statements, work identification books, pension slips), finances (bank account statements, mutual fund statements), family (marriage certificates, birth certificates), and business (bank account statements, annual accounting reports, incorporation papers).

Some applicants have also found it helpful to bring in an invitation from their U.S. sponsor, such as a written letter or an Affidavit of Support. (DOJ Form I-134).

Should I have my documents translated into English?

It is not necessary to have Indonesian documents translated for a nonimmigrant visa application. It is, however, helpful to bring original documents to your interview.

What forms will I need and where can I get them?

All applicants must fill out Form DS-156 Application for a Nonimmigrant Visa . You must use the Electronic Visa Application Form, print it out, and bring all three pages to the Embassy at the time of the interview.  This link to the DS-156 contains an interactive DS-156 that you can complete on-line and print out.  All male applicants between 16 and 45 will have to fill out form DS-157 .  All applicants for student and exchange visitor visas will have to fill out form DS-158 .

I forgot to surrender my I-94 card when I left the United States. What should I do?

Please refer to the Department of Homeland Security's Website for more information on I-94 cards.

What is an Affidavit of Support? Do I have to have one, or is a letter of invitation enough?

An Affidavit of Support is an official form that helps a visa applicant overcome potential "public charge" ineligibility. If a consular officer believes that a visa applicant does not have enough funds to support himself while in the United States , he can refuse a visa application based on the idea that the applicant will become a burden on the United States government. Thus, an Affidavit of Support from an American citizen or legal permanent resident can help overcome this potential ineligibility. No applicant is required to present an Affidavit, or even a letter of invitation, but they can be helpful in adjudicating visa applications.

Please note that there are two different kinds of Affidavits of Support. The appropriate form for a non-immigrant is Form I-134. Form I-864 is the kind used for immigrant visas.

To locate the Affidavit of Support, you can go to the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service) website at

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm.

Where can I pay the fee?

You will pay the $131 application fee at the Embassy just before your interview.  The fee is payable in Rupiah only. 

Should I bring my old passport with me to the interview even though I have never been issued a visa for the United States ?

Yes, presenting an expired passport, which shows previous travel, is helpful to the consular officer. Applicants are encouraged to keep their expired passports rather than returning the expired passport when a new one is obtained.

You must bring your old passport(s) with you, especially, if you were issued a travel visa to the U.S. You must bring a copy of the police report with you to the interview if your passport was stolen or lost.

Should I purchase my airline/ travel tickets in advance to prove that I really want a visa and to validate my destination?

No, do not purchase your tickets in advance. Visas are not issued simply because an applicant has purchased an airline ticket.

How soon should I apply for a visa if I am planning a trip to the U.S?

Please begin the process to apply for a visa at least two to three months before intending to arrive in the U.S.

Can I still use the DS Form 156 and DS Form 157 even though they have an expiration date?

Yes, even though the forms have an expiration date, they will be accepted.

When do I find out the result of my interview? When do I get my passport back?

In most cases, visa applicants are told on the same day the result of their visa interview. In a small number of cases, visa applicants are told to come back at a later date with more documentation. If found to be qualified, applicants will be issued a visa two to three days later.

The applicant or a representative may return to pick up the passport with visa at the appointed time.  If the applicant sends a representative, the representative must bring with him/her the pickup ticket and know the name of the applicants whose passport s/he is acquiring.

How can I go work legally in the United States ?

In order for a foreign national to work in the United States , a company in the United States must file a work petition with the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). After the petition has been approved, the USCIS will inform the applicant in writing with a form known as a "Notice of Action." Once the applicant has the Notice of Action, he can come in for his visa interview by appointment.

Are there any special requirements or procedures for applying for a business visa?

Applicants for business visas, like many other types of visas, are required to demonstrate a residence abroad that they do not intend to abandon. They must also demonstrate that they plan to travel to the United States on bona fide business. This is often done by providing an invitation from an U.S. company as well as documents that establish an ongoing or proposed business relationship between that company and the Indonesian one.

Applicants who own their own companies or businesses in Indonesia should be prepared to demonstrate that their company exists and is operating.

I am planning a trip to Canada/Mexico/Central America /South America , and the plane is stopping in the US . Do I need a transit visa?

Indonesians and most other foreign nationals traveling through the United States to another destination in North or South America must have a transit visa or a tourist visa, even if they do not plan on leaving the airport.

I'd like to study in the United States . How can I go about doing this?

Information about U.S. educational institutions is available at AMINEF, the American- Indonesian Educational Foundation. AMINEF has branch offices in Jakarta and most major Indonesian cities. More information can be found at their website, www.aminef.or.id. Many high schools in Indonesia also have information about schools in the United States . Prospective students may also visit the “American Corners” which are located at major universities throughout Indonesia . You may find one near you by visiting the American Corner website at:  http://www.usembassyjakarta.org/americancorners/.

Prospective students may also visit www.educationusa.state.gov for further information.

Please note, students deal directly with the U.S. educational institution during the application process. The Embassy does not assist students with their applications to U.S. schools.

How do I get an I-20 form to study in the U.S. ?

After you have been accepted into a college or university, they will send you the I-20 form. You cannot apply for the student visa until you have the I-20 form.

Why was my visa application refused?

According to U.S. immigration law, all applicants for tourist visas must demonstrate at the time of the visa application that they are not intending to immigrate into the United States . They must also demonstrate that they will not be conducting any improper activity that is not allowed by the type of visa for which they are applying. If a consular officer refused your visa application, he/she was either unsure that you would come back to Indonesia or suspected that you were going to the United States for some purpose other than that which you declared.

I think the consular officer made a mistake. Can I have my application reconsidered?

If you feel your case was not given all due consideration, you may reapply at any time. However, we encourage applicants to reapply only if they can present stronger evidence of their ties to Indonesia than they had at the previous interview. If nothing has changed or if an applicant brings nothing new to the interview, the applicant will likely be refused again.

If I use the electronic DS-156 form, do I still need to print it out and bring it to the embassy?

Yes.  At this time, the application will not be electronically forwarded to the embassy for processing.  You will have to print out the form and bring it along with the electronic bar code to be processed.

May I or my U.S. citizen relative talk to a consular officer about my case?

Due to the high volume of visa applicants, consular officers discuss cases only during the interview. Applicants, their attorney, or U.S. citizen relatives may contact the Consular section about visa cases by e-mail at jakconsul@state.gov or by fax to +62-21-385-7189. Inquiries must include the applicant’s full name, date of birth, and passport number. Except for emergencies, consular officers do not accept telephone inquiries about visa cases.

What is a machine-readable passport? What is an e-passport (or biometric passport)?

A machine-readable passport has certain biographical data entered on the data page in accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Doc 9303, Part 1 Machine-Readable Passports. These standards address issues like the size of the passport and photograph, arrangement of data fields, and the two lines of printed machine-readable data that appear at the bottom of the page. Machine-readable passports can be read by scanning the two lines of printed data through special readers. Below is an example of how the biographical data page in a machine-readable passport might look:

Travelers should contact their country’s passport issuing agency or authority if they have any doubts related to whether their passport is machine-readable.

Still confused? Please contact one of our visa assistants by phone at + 62 (21) 3435-9000, by e-mail at jakconsul@state.gov or by fax at + 62 (21) 385-7189 .