How To Apply For A Visa
STEP 1: Take your photograph
STEP 2: Complete the application form
STEP 3: Check if you require an interview with a consul
STEP 4: Schedule an interview
STEP 5: Prepare the required documents
STEP 6: Interview with a consul
STEP 7: Receive your passport with a visa
STEP ONE: Take your photograph
Your photo is a vital part of your visa application. The acceptance of your photo is always at the discretion of the U.S. embassy or consulate where you apply. Please review information below on how to provide a suitable photo.
Your photos or digital images must be:
- Recent (taken within the last six months)
- In color
- White or off-white background that is not patterned or busy
- Face must measure about 3cm from the top of the head to the chin
- Applicant's face must face camera directly and not be looking down or to either side
- Both ears must be exposed
- No sunglasses
- No head coverings or hats, except for religious reasons, but even then, head coverings or hats cannot obscure any part of the applicant’s face.
Review the Photo Examples to see examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos.
The digital image uploaded to the DS-160 must adhere to the following specifications:
- Must be in JPEG format (.jpg file extension)
- Minimum acceptable dimensions are 600 pixels (width) — 600 pixels (height)
- Maximum acceptable dimensions are 1200 pixels (width) — 1200 pixels (height) and
240KB or less in file size
If you do not at least attempt to upload a digital photo, you cannot proceed with the application. If the system rejects your photo, please bring your printed photo to the interview - dimensions should be 5 cm x 5 cm. Submitting photos that do not meet these criteria can delay the visa application process.
Paper Photo Head Size Template
Digital Image Head Size Template
For more information about visa application photo specifications, visit the Department of State’s website and see FAQ.
STEP TWO: Complete the application form DS-160
The DS-160 visa application form is used by applicants everywhere in the world and is not specific to any one country. It is intended to include useful information from people of all nationalities and walks of life.
DS-160 important instructions:
-
Prepare all data relevant to your intended travel to the United States prior to starting the application process: passport, information on your travel history, previous visa applications, travel plans.
-
Select the language of your application in the right upper corner under “Select Tooltip Language” of DS-160. For most text, the required language will appear if you hover over the text. In many places, however, you will have to click the blue “i” button in order to see more information.
-
Choose the location where you will be making your visa appointment Warsaw or Krakow and then click “Start a new application”.
-
Please write down your Application ID and the answer to the security question that you select to confirm your identity. You will be able to retrieve your unsubmitted application for the next 30 days.
-
Select the correct visa category under “Purpose of Travel to the United States” .View the visa categories to find out which category you should choose. Please note that if you are applying for more than one visa (for example B1/B2 and I), you must complete and submit two application forms DS-160 and bring two confirmation pages with two different application numbers for the interview.
-
Upload a digital photo. You can take this photo yourself, and the system will notify you as to whether it meets the requirements. If you do not at least attempt to upload a digital photo, you cannot proceed with the application.
-
Review the information on the form before submitting it. Everything must be correct and accurate. Once the application is submitted, it is impossible to make any changes.
-
Make sure that your biographic data such as your surname, given name, middle name, gender, date and place of birth, nationality, aliases (for example maiden name)and full name in native alphabet are accurate. If you enter incorrect data, you will be required to correct and resubmit your DS-160 before an interview.
-
If you present falsified information, you may be found permanently inadmissible to the United States. Therefore, please ensure that all the information contained within it is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge
-
Unsubmitted applications are only saved for 30 days, so you should permanently save the application to your hard drive or any data storage device if you wish to return to it after this period.
8. Page Error Messages: Some errors are the result of special characters and formatting related to your computer settings. You should enter only numbers (no punctuation) in the salary and date fields.
9. By clicking “Sign and Submit Application” you are electronically signing the application.
10. Print the confirmation page that includes some biographical information and a bar code with a confirmation number. You will have to give this confirmation number when making your interview appointment by phone and should also bring the confirmation page to your scheduled interview.
STEP THREE: Check if you require an interview with a consul
All applicants must appear in person for an interview with a consul with the exception of:
- Foreign Government Officials traveling on official government business – A-1/A-2 visas
- International Organizations Representatives (e.g. United Nations, World Bank) – G-1-4 visas
- NATO Representatives and Military Personnel traveling on official business - NATO 1-6 visas
- Travelers age 80 or over with no prior refusals within the last two years
- Certain children under the age of 14 (see Applications for Children for more information)
- Applicants whose personal data has not changed and who meet all of the following conditions:
- Received a visa after December 10, 2007 and had their fingers scanned
- Are applying for a visa in the same category as the previous visa, unless:
- their most recent B1/B2 visa was issued for less than ten years,
- are applying for J or H visas and previously did not receive William Wilberforce pamphlet (about workers rights and trafficking in persons) in person from a consular employee,
- apply for A-3, G-5 or NATO-7 visa
Every time they apply for a visa they must have an interview with a consular officer.
3. Are applying for the new visa within 12 months of the expiration date of the old visa.
4. Are applying at the consular post of their usual residence or the post designated for their nationality.
If you do not require an interview with a consul you can submit the required documents at the information window of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw on Piekna Street or inside the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. You can also send your documents by DHL courier (see DHL Express Courier Service).
Please note that we reserve the right to request a personal interview of any applicant.
STEP FOUR: Schedule an interview
To schedule an appointment with a consul please call the Visa Information Service Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
703 700 120 - from landline phones (4.92 PLN per minute). If you have problems reaching our info line, please contact your phone service provider to ensure that you have access to premium rate numbers.
*740 94 00 - from cellular phones, must dial a * before the number(4.92 PLN per minute)
(48)22 523 2000 - from anywhere in the world (7.11 USD for 7 minutes charged to a Visa or MasterCard)
Please note that the price of the appointment telephone call is subject to change without notice.
The average wait time for an appointment is two business days. Please refer to the Visa Wait Times at Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs website to see the current wait time for a visa interview. Before making the appointment call please prepare your passport, DS-160 confirmation page and, if you are applying for a petition-based visa (H, L, O, P, R, Q), the I-797 confirmation number or the I-129 receipt number.
If you need to travel to the U.S. for a health or a death emergency, please see Family Emergencies.
STEP FIVE: Prepare the required documents
Your passport should be valid for six months beyond the date that you intend to depart the U.S. If your passport is valid for less than six months we can still issue a visa but your stay in the U.S. will be limited to the expiration date of your passport.
If your passport expires before your visa, you can still use it to travel to the U.S. as long as the visa does not have passport cancelation holes punched through it. In such case you travel with two passports, the expired one with a valid U.S. visa and with your new passport.
Please note that Poland has an agreement with the U.S. to honor the validity of its passports for an additional six months beyond the expiration date.
If your passport with a valid U.S. visa was stolen you should present a police report when applying for a new visa.
In a case of the loss of your passport with a valid U.S. visa please follow our instruction in FAQs section.
All applicants are required to pay the application processing Machine Readable Visa (MRV) Fee, except:
diplomatic passport holders
A, G and NATO visas applicants
J visa applicants sponsored by the U.S. Government and participating in programs with a code beginning with G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-7
For the current MRV fee amount and payment information please see Fees.
If you reside in Poland you must submit a DHL Express Form, which will be used to return your passport to you after visa issuance. With the exception of family members residing at the same address a separate DHL form is required for each visa applicant.
Since we cannot send passports through DHL to Belarus, Belarusian applicants, who qualify for a visa and who do not have residence in Poland, can pick up their passports on the next working day after their visa interview between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the U.S. Embassy information window # 1 at Piekna Street 12.
If you have any valid U.S. visas, including the ones in your old passport, please bring them to the interview.
In a case of the loss of your passport with a valid U.S. visa, please follow our instruction in FAQs section.
Interview and application forms are designed to elicit all necessary information. Applicants may want to consider bringing along documents that they feel are useful, but the consular officer may not choose to look at them if it appears that additional documents won't make a difference in the adjudication.
For information on any other documents you are required to have depending on the kind of visa you are applying for, please see Visa Categories.
If you have ever extended your stay in the U.S. or changed your visa status (for example from B1/B2 to F-1), please bring all related documents to your appointment.
If you ever been arrested or convicted for any offence or crime, you must bring to the interview a recent copy of a good conduct certificate and court records. If the criminal offense took place in Poland, you should contact the National Criminal Register Information Office at Czerniakowska Street 100 in Warsaw (see map) to issue a good conduct certificate. If the criminal offense took place outside of Poland, you must bring a good conduct certificate/police record and court records issued by government authorities of the country where the offense happened.
All documents must be translated into English.
STEP SIX: Interview with a consul
Nonimmigrant visa appointments are held at the Consular Section of:
- the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw located at Piękna Street 12 (see map)
- the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow located at Stolarska Street 9 (see map)
Visa appointments are scheduled on the half-hour from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Please arrive at your scheduled appointment time (not earlier) and expect to spend approximately one hour at the Embassy. Before you enter the building consular staff will verify that you have correct documents for the interview.
Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow have no affiliation with individuals attempting to sell services or products to visa applicants.
The interview process combines three steps:
1. Security Screening
All applicants must clear the security screening before entering the Consular Section. Please do not bring:
- Any electronic devices, including cameras and laptop computers
- Any weapons
- Any liquids
- Large bags, such as backpacks, suitcases or packages (if you are coming by train, you may wish to leave your luggage in one of the train station lockers)
- You will be required to leave cellular phones with the Embassy security personnel before entering the Consular Section. In Krakow, due to space limitations, applicants cannot leave phones or personal items with security staff. Local businesses unaffiliated with the Consulate General will perform this service for a nominal charge.
If you fail to follow these security requirements, you may face delays. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.
2. Registration of an applicant and fingerprint scanning
After you pass the security screening, the consular staff will direct you to the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit waiting room. At one of the registration windows, a consular employee will scan your fingerprints and enter your visa application information into the computer system. After your registration is complete you will pick up an interview number and wait for it to be displayed above one of the interviewing windows.
3. Interview with a consul
In Warsaw, when you come up to the interviewing window please give the consul only your passport, DS-160 confirmation page, and a DHL form. In Krakow, the consul will already have your documents. If any other supporting documents are necessary, the consul will ask for them during the interview. The consul will verify your fingerprints asking you to place a specific finger on a scanner.
The purpose of the interview is to determine that the purpose of your travel to the U.S. and the visa category that you are applying for, are in accordance with the U.S. immigration law. We strongly encourage you to be honest in answering the consul’s questions since your credibility is an important factor in determining visa eligibility. The consul will inform you if you qualify for a visa.
Some visa applications require further administrative processing that takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview with a consul. The timing of administrative processing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case. A consular employee will contact you when the process is completed.
STEP SEVEN: Receive your passport with a visa
If you qualify for a visa you must leave your passport at the Consular Section for visa printing. The consul will give you a DHL tracking number receipt with information about the passport delivery. Your passport will be delivered to the address you submitted on the DHL form in five business days through the DHL Express Courier Service. On delivery the applicant must pay the service fee of 23,20 PLN.
Please do not ask the consul if you can pick up your passport in person. Only applicants traveling to the U.S. for medical or death emergency (see Family Emergencies) and Belarusian citizens without residence in Poland (see Third-Country Nationals) are allowed to pick up their passports in person. All other applicants should not make final travel plans until they receive their passports with a visa through a DHL courier.
After you receive your passport, we strongly encourage you to check your name, surname, date of birth and the passport number on your visa. If you notice any discrepancy please contact the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit that issued your visa at 22 504-2000 in Warsaw or at 12 424-5107 in Krakow.
Adobe Reader
-
Download Free
All downloadable documents on this page are provided in PDF format. To view PDFs you must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free version by clicking the link above.