USA - FAQ's

Revalidation Of   'H,' 'L,' 'O,' AND 'P' VISAS

Your application for revalidation (or renewal) of an 'H,' 'L,' 'O', or 'P' visa will be considered upon receipt of the documents and/or information listed below. Before mailing your visa package please check carefully to ensure that all required items are included.
Departures from these guidelines usually will result in visa refusal and long delays:-

(1) A passport valid for at least (6) months.
The passport (or accompanying previous passport) must contain a previous visa bearing the same classification as that which is now being sought. A visa may be revalidated if it has a remaining validity of not more than sixty (60) days, or has not been expired for more than one year. Each applicant will receive an individual visa, and each Machine Readable Visa (MRV) covers a full page. Therefore, passports must contain a blank, unmarked visa page for each U.S. visa to be placed in the passport.

(2) The original Form I-94 annotated by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Inspector when s/he was last admitted to the United States. The original I-94 should remain firmly stapled in your passport at all times. If the Form I-94 has expired, you should submit a valid Form I-797 Notice of Approval from the INS for each visa applicant.

(3) A valid Employment Petition (Form I-797) issued by the INS must be submitted. The form will indicate the applicant's current employer and the approved extension of temporary stay.

(4) A comprehensive letter from the principal alien's employer identifying the applicant and describing in detail the nature and function of the position, the kind of business and what it does, and justifying the need for the visa.
The letter submitted must be on the letterhead of the current employer, with an original signature from the company representative and must be addressed to the Visa Office, Department of State.

The Visa Office cannot accept letters signed by the visa applicant. If the visa applicant is the sole employee of the company in the United States, the latest copy of the company's FICA and IRS forms must be submitted along with the applicant's letter of explanation. Please include the company's fax number.

(5) A typed Form OF-156 (Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form) with one passport-size photograph, with white or light background, for each applicant regardless of age.
The photographs must be attached to the respective forms in the designated place. Please spell out the month of birth (i.e., write "January 2," NOT 1/2 or 2/1) Incomplete or improperly filled out applications are returned without visas.

(6) If the spouse and/or dependent children are applying for visas separately from the principal alien, certified copies of the principal alien's visa and valid I-94 (front and back) must be submitted in addition to all other requirements.

(7) There is a required $45 non-refundable fee for each Machine Readable Visa. Payment may be made by bank draft, money order, or corporate check made to the order of the "U.S. Department of State." Cash or personal checks are not acceptable.
In addition, certain nationalities must also pay a "reciprocity fee." The amount of these fees vary from country to country. In the case of multiple applicants, payment of all MRVs may be consolidated in one check, and all reciprocity fees in another. However, you may not combine payments for both fees in one single check.

(8) This office does not have direct contact with the public. All transactions take place via U.S. mail or commercial courier. While we do not recommend any particular service, FEDERAL EXPRESS picks up daily directly from our offices.
   

The office's mail room is in a different building; items sent via U.S. Postal Service take at least two extra days each way. Include a prepaid airbill for the carrier of your choice to return the documents to your. If you opt for the U.S. Postal Service, you must provide a stamped, self addressed envelope for the postal service of your choice. For safety reasons. U.S. Postal Inspectors recommend that passports sent via the U.S. Postal Service should be mailed in padded envelopes.
If you make no provisions for the return of your documents, we will return them via ordinary surface mail.

Application packages must be mailed to:

CA/VO/P/D - VISA SERVICES
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
2401 'E' STREET, NW (SA-1 L-703)
WASHINGTON, DC 20522-0106

No more than one family per package. Processing time depends on seasonal demand. It is best to allow between eight to ten weeks from the date of receipt. In all fairness, this office adheres to a strict first-come, first-served policy. If there are time constraints surrounding your application, please do not submit it. Instead, we urge you to apply for the visa at an overseas U.S. diplomatic or consular office.