Apply for a U.S. Visa

Appointments for Petition-based Employment visas (H, L, P, O, Q, R, E3, CNMI, CW1, CW2) and All Others visa (I, TD, TN, U, T) are only available at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai does not process these visa categories.

Effective December 1, 2023, Visa Renewal by Mail Program is only available at U.S. Embassy Bangkok. Residents in the Chiang Mai Consular District that want to participate in the Visa Renewal By Mail Program should submit the document package to the Embassy in Bangkok for processing. If you submit your visa application to Consulate General Chiang Mai, your visa application will be returned via the courier.

Visa Renewal by Mail Program will take approximately 30 business days. If your travel is urgent, please schedule an in-person interview. For pilots and crew members, if you need to use your passport within 30 business days, please do not submit your application by mail. Expedited visa renewal by mail option is not available. Please read all the information before submitting your application by mail on https://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/th-niv-visarenew.asp.

All receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees issued before October 1, 2022, will expire September 30, 2023. There will be no extensions of fee validity. Applicants must schedule an appointment or submit an interview waiver application before September 30, 2023 to avoid paying a new fee. Please note that the interview itself does not need to take place before September 30, 2023, but an interview appointment needs to be made in the system, even if it is scheduled months into the future.

Furthermore, applicants using MRV fees paid before October 1, 2022 to book an appointment are cautioned not to attempt to change their appointment dates on or after October 1, 2023. Doing so will result in forfeiture of both the original appointment slot and the MRV fee receipt. The applicant will be required to pay a new fee and submit a new application package.

The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. This means starting May 12, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. CDC’s Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic will no longer be in effect when the Presidential Proclamation Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is revoked.

Appointment wait times posted on travel.state.gov reflect the wait times for visa applicants who are residents of Thailand only. Non-resident wait times will be shown after applicant selects the correct visa priority as non-resident on www.ustraveldocs.com/th/.

Please note that the appointment wait time for non-resident visa applicants is longer than for residents. Foreign nationals who select Regular priority instead of Non-resident, but fail to present a residence permit/long-term visa on the day of their interview will not be interviewed.

For applicants who do not speak English or Thai, it is your responsibility to bring a translator/interpreter to your visa interview. The translator/interpreter is required to bring their identification or passport on the appointment date.

Effective October 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Technical Instructions for panel physicians require all immigrant visa applicants to receive a full COVID-19 vaccine series as part of their medical exam prior to being issued a visa.  The CDC requires the COVID-19 vaccine to be approved through either the World Health Organization (WHO) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Blanket waivers for the COVID vaccination will be applied in countries where the vaccine is not routinely available or when the vaccine is not age appropriate.  The Department of State encourages all immigrant visa applicants to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible to not experience delays in their visa processing. CDC’s announcement can be found here

Applicants will receive an email with instructions when their case is eligible to be scheduled for an interview. Even if your case status is listed as “Ready”, please do not schedule an interview on this website until you have received email instructions directly from U.S. Embassy Bangkok's Immigrant Visa Unit. If your case status has been listed as “Ready” for more than 30 days without receiving an email, you may email the Immigrant Visa Unit for a status update at visasbkk@state.gov. NOTE: If there are no available appointments when you are trying to schedule, that means all appointments are filled. We frequently open additional appointments. Please continue to check the website for available appointments.

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

Please note that it is recommended you wear a face mask when visiting U.S. Embassy Bangkok and U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai. If you are feeling ill or have reason to believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, please do not enter U.S. Embassy Bangkok and U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai buildings and reschedule your appointment.

Attention: Nonimmigrant visa applicants should submit electronically the DS-160 online form before making an appointment. Update your profile with the DS-160 barcode number by selecting “Update Profile” on this website. When scheduling your appointment, use the same barcode from your current DS-160. If you have made an appointment with an invalid or previously used barcode, you must update your profile at least three 3 business days prior to your appointment date with the new/valid barcode. Otherwise, you will not be allowed in for an interview and will need to make a new appointment using the new/valid DS-160 barcode. 

Note for applicants applying at Consulate General Chiang Mai: Please bring printouts of your DS-160 confirmation and appointment confirmation to your interview.