• Generally, athletes and coaches who are citizens of a foreign country, and who wish to enter the United States to participate in the USMTO must first obtain a Category B2 nonimmigrant visa.

• Note: A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a nonimmigrant tourist visa. If you do choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember that it is not one of the factors that the government will use to determine whether to issue or deny a nonimmigrant tourist visa.  Visa applicants must qualify based on the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from the USMTO or U.S. family and friends.

• A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States!

Athletes and coaches must apply at their home country’s U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  There are several steps to apply for a visa, but they may vary depending on where you apply. Please consult the instructions available on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website where you will apply.

 

Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS160 – Learn more about completing the DS160.

 

You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.

 

Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS160. Your photo must be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

While interviews are generally not required for applicants of certain ages outlined below, consular officers have the discretion to require an interview of any applicant, regardless of age.

 

• If you are age 13 or younger, interviews are generally not required.
• If you are between ages 14-79, interviews are required.

 

You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview, generally, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live.

 

You may schedule your interview at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate, but be aware that it may be difficult to qualify for a visa outside of your place of permanent residence.

 

Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa early. Review the interview wait time online or contact the location where you will apply:

 

Pay the nonrefundable visa application fee of $160, if you are required to pay it before your interview. When your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee, if applicable to your nationality.

Gather and prepare the following required documents before your visa interview:

 

• Passport valid for travel to the United States: 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.

 

• Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.

 

• Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Review the instructions for how to apply for a visa on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply. 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.

 

Note: Evidence of your employment and/or your family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return to your home country. If you cannot cover all the costs for your trip, you may show evidence that another person will cover some or all costs for your trip.

During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa.  You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.

 

Inkfree, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. They are usually taken during your interview, but this varies based on location.

 

After your visa interview, your application may require further administrative processing. You will be informed by the consular officer if further processing is necessary for your application.

 

When the visa is approved, you may pay a visa issuance fee if applicable to your nationality, and will be informed how your passport with visa will be returned to you. Review the visa processing time, to learn how soon your passport with visa will generally be ready for pickup or delivery by the courier.

A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to a U.S. port of entry (generally an airport) and request permission to enter the United States. A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the port of entry have authority to permit or deny admission to the United States. If you are to enter the United States, the CBP official will provide an admission stamp or a paper Form I94, Arrival/Departure Record.

 

Learn more about admissions and entry requirements, restrictions about bringing food, agricultural products, and other restricted/prohibited goods, and more by reviewing the CBP website.

See Extend Your Stay on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website to learn about requesting to extend your stay beyond the date indicated on your admission stamp or paper Form I94.  You must depart the United States on or before the date indicated on your admission stamp or paper Form I94,

unless your request to extend your stay is approved by USCIS.

 

Failure to depart the United States on time will result in you being out of status. Under U.S. law, visas of travelers who are out of status are automatically voided (Section 222(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act). If you had a multiple entry visa and it was voided due to you being out of status, it will not be valid for future entries into the United States.

 

Failure to depart the United States on time may also result in you being ineligible for visas you may apply for in the future.

While in the United States, you may be able to request that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) change your nonimmigrant status to another nonimmigrant category. See Change My Nonimmigrant Status on the USCIS website to learn more.

 

Requesting a change of status from USCIS while you are in the United States and before your authorized stay expires does not require that you apply for a new visa.  However, if you cannot remain in the United States while USCIS processes your change of status request, you must apply for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

• Visitors are not permitted to accept employment or work in the United States.

• Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid.

• If you have a valid visa in your expired passport, do not remove it from your expired passport. You may use your valid visa in your expired passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.

 

We cannot guarantee that you will be issued a visa, but you should REGISTER anyway. 

The USMTO will issue refunds to athletes who are unable to obtain a visa.

 Do not book your hotel until you have a visa.