Apply for a U.S. Visa

Effective February 13, 2023, the United States Embassy Phnom Penh will contract with a private company to assist in providing Document Delivery Service. This service is free of charge and provides more efficiency and flexibility to both immigrant and nonimmigrant applicants for the following appointments: Interview Waiver/Visa Renewal, Passport/Visa Collection, 221g Document Drop-off. Please refer to the respective links for detailed information.

Select here to learn more about certain individual petition-based visa applicants who are now eligible for waiver of interview.

On October 25, President Biden announced a Presidential Proclamation titled “A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This proclamation, which took effect at 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time on November 8, 2021, ended the travel restrictions under Presidential Proclamations (P.P.) 9984, 9992, 10143, and 10199 as they relate to the suspension of entry into the United States of persons physically present in Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In place of these restrictions, the President announced a global vaccination requirement for all adult foreign national travelers. More information about this global vaccination requirement, including details on exceptions and waivers due to humanitarian concerns, is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Certain F, M, and Academic J Visa Applicants Continue to Be Eligible for Waiver of Interview through December 31, 2022. Applicants eligible for the waiver authority because they are citizens or nationals of a VWP participating country must have previously traveled to the United States using an authorization obtained via ESTA to qualify. Please click here for information.

As of April 28, 2021, the United States Embassy Phnom Penh resumed routine visa services for immigrant visas while offering limited number of nonimmigrant visa appointments.If you have an urgent matter and need to travel immediately, please follow the guidance provided at https://ustraveldocs.com/kh/kh-niv-expeditedappointment.asp for nonimmigrant visa or email IVPhnomPenh@state.gov for immigrant visa to request an emergency appointment.

Secretary Blinken, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification. Previously, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 24 months were eligible for an interview waiver. The Secretary has temporarily extended the expiration period to 48 months. This policy is extended from December 31, 2021 until further notice. This change will allow consular officers to continue processing certain nonimmigrant visa applications while limiting the number of applicants who must appear at a consular section, thereby reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission to other applicants and consular staff. Travelers are encouraged to review the website of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for detailed information on what services are currently available as well as eligibility information and instructions on applying for a visa without an interview.

Effective Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the CDC rescinded its Order requiring all airline or other aircraft passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 to board any aircraft destined to the United States from a foreign country. Of note,CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect. For more information see Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers.

The United States Embassy Phnom Penh will continue to provide all immigrant visa and non-immigrant visa services to Cambodian and non-Cambodian nationals residing in Cambodia. As of November 01, 2021, we resumed certain non-immigrant visa services for non-Cambodian nationals not residing in Cambodia with limited appointment availability to the following categories: B1/B2, F, M and J.  Applicants from outside this office's consular district may apply for visas.  However, you should be aware that language difficulties and interviewing officers' unfamiliarity with local conditions in other countries may make it more difficult to demonstrate your qualifications for a visa here than in your home district or at a post designated for your application. 

While the United States Embassy Phnom Penh aims to process cases as soon as practicable, there is likely to be increased wait times for completing such services due to substantial backlogs. The MRV fee (for nonimmigrant visa) is valid and may be used to schedule an interview appointment in the country where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment. If you have an urgent matter and need to travel immediately, please follow the guidance provided at https://www.ustraveldocs.com/kh/kh-niv-expeditedappointment.asp to request an emergency appointment.

Please be informed that your visa appointment will be canceled if you fail to choose the correct appointment for the “Select Visa Priority” (Nonresident for non-Cambodian nationals not residing in Cambodia or Regular for Cambodian nationals / non-Cambodian national residing in Cambodia). The U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh has a limited capacity to provide visa services during the pandemic and are prioritizing Cambodian national students and business travelers.

All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee. Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period. Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period. There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period. All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date.

As of September 13, 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia has discontinued issuing B1, B2, and B1/B2 visas for Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees, with the rank of Director General and above, and their families, with limited exceptions. Under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, when so requested by the Secretary of Homeland Security due to a particular country’s refusal to accept or unreasonably delay the return of its nationals, the Secretary of State must order consular officers to suspend issuing visas until informed by the Secretary of Homeland Security that the country in question has accepted the individuals.If you are subject to this visa suspension and you choose to apply, we will interview you but will not be able to issue a visa until the suspension is lifted. Please consider this carefully before you apply. Application fees will not be refunded.