Visas for minors under the age of 14 and adults over 80

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Questions and Answers

Q: Do minors need a visa?
A: All travelers, including minors, need a visa to travel to the United States or must qualify to travel without a visa through a special program, such as the Visa Waiver Program.

Q: Do minors pay the same application fee as adults?
A: Yes, the application fee is the same for both adults and minors.

Q: Do minors need to schedule an interview appointment?
A: Yes, every applicant requires an appointment.

Q: Do minors have to come in person for their appointment?
A: All minors are required to attend their visa interview, except Panamanian citizen minors under the age of 14.

NOTE: Panamanian minors are those minors holding Republic of Panama passports.

Q: Do the minor’s parents also need to attend the interview?
A: At least one parent, or the legal guardian, of the minor must attend the interview appointment. The attending parent must bring the minor’s passport and an original copy of the minor’s birth certificate. Parents must bring their current valid passport with U.S. visa (current or expired) to the interview. Even when neither parent is intending to travel with the minor, the parents must provide evidence of the family’s long-term economic, family, academic, and personal ties that would compel the applicant to return home after a short visit to the United States. Legal guardians must show proof of custody of all minor children.

Interview Waiver

If you meet certain requirements and qualify for the Embassy’s interview waiver program, you DO NOT need to make an appointment or come to the Embassy for a personal interview. Instead, you may send in your passport and other documents, and as long as you have answered the questions honestly, we will proceed with the visa process without an interview. If your visa is approved, we will return it via Fletes Chavale to the location you selected.

WARNING: If you have not answered the questions honestly or if the Embassy decides that they need to interview you in person, your passport will be returned to you and you will need to reach our Call Center, Tel: 833-9393, to schedule an appointment at the Embassy.

  • If you submit a non-qualifying package for an Interview Waiver, expect major delays for a future appointment.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE:
Read carefully the following criteria to make certain that the applicant qualifies:

  • Either one or both parents currently have valid, full-validity, multiple-entry B1/B2 visas issued in Panama for 10 years.
  • Panamanians or Panamanian residents under the age of 14, applying for first time or with previous visa. The previous visa was not cancelled, revoked or have annotations.
  • Your last visa has never been lost, stolen or damage.

Foreign applicants under the age of 14 cannot apply for a visa under the interview waiver system, for them, an interview is required.

If an applicant under the age of 14 meets all of the criteria, please print the Interview Waiver letter and bring it with the following documentation to any Fletes Chavale location:

  • Current, valid passport.
  • If his or her current or last US visa was issued in another passport, include that passport as well.
  • DS-160 confirmation page.
  • Current 5cm x 5cm photograph taken within the last six months. The photo must have the visa requirements http://www.ustraveldocs.com/pa/pa-niv-photoinfo.asp
  • Applicant’s original birth certificate or Certificado de Nacimiento, as it is known in Panama.
  • Legible photocopies of the valid B1/B2 visas of one or both parents.
  • Copy of confirmation of visa payment. $160.00

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS WHO ARE 80 AND OVER:
If the applicant meets the following criteria, a B1/B2 visa may be requested by mail:

  • Panamanian Citizen applying for the first time or renewing a previous visa.
  • In case the applicant is renewing for a B1/B2 visa (10-year validity), issued in Panama, and the previous visa was not cancelled or revoked or have annotations.
  • Permanent resident of Panama with “carnet de residencia”. (If applies).
  • Your last visa has never been lost, stolen or damage.

If you are an applicant who is 80 years old or older and qualify, please print and take the Interview Waiver Letter with the following documentation to any Fletes Chavale location:

  • Current, valid passport
  • If your current or last US visa was issued in another passport, include this passport as well if the visa is still valid.
  • DS-160 confirmation page.
  • Current 5cm x 5cm photograph taken within the last six months. The photo must have the visa requirements http://www.ustraveldocs.com/pa/pa-niv-photoinfo.asp
  • Proof of permanent resident of Panama (Copy of "carnet de residencia") applies only for foreign applicants.
  • Copy of confirmation of visa payment. $160.00

 

Fletes Chavale will send all documents to the US Embassy at no charge and return the passport to the agency you previously selected. Remember that any documentation sent with your visa application will be kept by the Embassy and will not be returned. It is recommended that a clear, and legible, copy is submitted.

Although visa processing time for Interview Waiver is typically 10 working days in average, processing time for specific cases may vary due to individual circumstances and other special requirements.

Passports that are not picked up or claimed within the 14-day deadline, will be returned to the Consular Section and returned to the Panama National Passport Authority and the visa will be canceled.

To send the documents through Fletes Chavale; you must include all the documents in a closed envelope and attach the Interview Waiver Confirmation Letter for each applicant applying through this process.

To use the interview waiver option, you must follow all online instructions for registering the case. It is not possible to submit an interview waiver case at the U.S. Embassy in Panama as they will not be accepted. All interview waiver cases must be submitted through Fletes Chavale.