Who from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, Needs a Nonimmigrant Visa to Enter the United States Temporarily?


Document Requirements to Enter the U.S. - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Visa Requirements - Citizens of Canada
Visa Requirements - Citizens of Mexico
Visa Requirements - Citizens of British Overseas Territories of Bermuda
How to Apply for a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate if you are a Third Country National Present in the United States or Visiting Canada
Appointments are Required
Who May Not Apply for a Visa at an Embassy or Consulate at the U.S. Border?
Hours of Operation
Additional Information
Entering the U.S. - Port of Entry
Re-Entry into the U.S. - Important Information

Document Requirements to Enter the U.S. - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will require all travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. This travel initiative is being implemented in two phases. The first phase will be for air travel, and the second for land/sea travel. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Review the following information to learn about document requirements to enter the United States:

Visa Requirements - Citizens of Canada, and Permanent Residents

Citizens of Canada traveling to the U.S. do not require a nonimmigrant visa, except for the travel purposes as described below. The below listed travel purposes require a visa. Additionally, Canadian citizens who have an ineligibility for a visa under immigration law, or have previously violated the terms of their immigration status in the United States, can Learn More about ineligibilities related to Canadians on the DHS Customs and Border Protection Website. Canadian citizens with ineligibilities also have the option of applying for a visa and a waiver at the nearest U.S. consulate if it is more convenient for them.

Canadians require nonimmigrant visas for temporary travel to the U.S. for these purposes:

  • Foreign government officials (A), officials and employees of international organizations (G) and NATO officials, representatives and employees assigned to the U.S. as needed to facilitate their travel
  • Treaty traders (E-1)
  • Treaty investors (E-2)
  • Fiance/es (K-1)
  • Children of fiancées (K-2)
  • U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3).
  • Children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above
  • Spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process
  • Children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above

Permanent residents (aka landed immigrants) of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less under that program.

Additional resources regarding procedures for Canadian visitors to the United States can be found on the U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites in Canada - See Entering the United States on the U.S. Embassy Ottawa website, as well as Business Travel to the U.S. webpages.

Visa Requirements - Citizens of Mexico, and Permanent Residents

Citizens and permanent residents of Mexico generally must have a nonimmigrant visa or Border Crossing Card (also known as a "Laser Visa"). The Border Crossing Card, Form DSP-150 is a biometric, machine readable card that is a combined visitor B1-B2 visa/Border Crossing Card. Select Border Crossing Card to learn more about the requirements for this card.

Select U.S. Embassies/Consulates to go to consular sections in Canada and Mexico for more information about getting your nonimmigrant visa.

Visa Requirements - Citizens of the British Overseas Territories of Bermuda

Citizens of the British Overseas Territories of Bermuda traveling to the U.S. do not require a nonimmigrant visa for travel up to 180 days, except for the travel purposes as described below. Additionally, these citizens do not require a visa unless they have an ineligibility for a visa under immigration law, or have previously violated the terms of their immigration status in the United States. 

Citizens of the Overseas Territories of Bermuda require nonimmigrant visas when traveling to the U.S. for these purposes:

  • Foreign government officials (A), and officials and employees of international organizations (G)
  • Fiance/es (K-1)
  • Children of fiancées (K-2)
  • U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3)
  • Children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above
  • Spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process
  • Children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above
  • Other travel purposes where the intended stay is longer than 180 days
How To Apply For a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate If You Are a Third Country National Present In The United States, Or Visiting Canada or Mexico

Appointments are Required

Any third country national (TCN)* present in the United States and visitors present in Canada or Mexico who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the Embassy or consulates in Canada or Mexico, must make an appointment for an interview.  U.S. Consulates are located in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana.

*Please note that embassies and consulates along the U.S. border can no longer accept applications from non-resident TCNs who are nationals of the six countries currently designated as state sponsors of terrorism. For more information, please see the Notice: Special Visa Processing Procedures Pursuant to Section 306 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002.

Appointments by Telephone: If you are in the United States and you wish to schedule an appointment, you should call 1-900-443-3131; in Canada you should call 1-900-451-2778. Callers from the United States or Canada wishing to charge the cost of the call to a credit card may schedule an appointment by calling 1-888-840-0032. Unlike the 1-900 numbers, which are blocked from most hotels, office or pay telephones, the credit card line can be accessed from virtually any telephone. The appointment system requires a touch-tone phone; a push-button rotary phone will not work.

Appointments by Internet: Applicants can book appointments in Canada via the Internet at www.nvars.com. Each appointment costs $9.50 Canadian, which will be charged to a major credit card. Applicants are advised to have their credit card information handy. Appointments for Mexico cannot be booked online at this time.

After your appointment is scheduled, you will be mailed an information packet for the post where you will be applying. Please DO NOT call an individual post directly to request an appointment. They can only be scheduled by calling the appropriate 1-900 or 1-888 telephone number or by using the Internet.

Who May Not Apply for a Visa at an Embassy or Consulate at the U.S. Border?

Individuals who have been out of status in the United States because they violated the terms of their visa or overstayed the validity indicated on their I-94 are not eligible to apply at a border post. In other words, if you have remained in the U.S. longer than the period authorized by the immigration officer when you entered the U.S. in any visa category, you must apply in the country of your nationality or legal permanent residence. If you are not certain about your status, check with the nearest U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security office.

U.S. embassies and consulates routinely do not accept applications for "E" visas from third country national applicants who are not resident in their consular districts.

Hours of Operation

Operators are available from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. Eastern Time. Callers may have difficulty getting through if they call during the peak times of 7 A.M., 11 A.M., 2 P.M., 4:30 P.M. and 7 P.M. Eastern Time. Appointments for embassies and consulates outside the Eastern Time Zone can only be made after it is 7 A.M. in the embassy or consulate's time zone. The Internet system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Additional Information

Applicants who are unable to attend their scheduled appointments must cancel them two full working days prior to the appointment by calling toll-free to 1-888-611-6676.

Visa applicants should take their appointment letters to the interview. They may be admitted without one, but absence of the letter could cause delays.

Certain nationalities require visas from Canadian authorities in order to enter Canada.

Individuals who are already in the U.S. and remain in legal status are encouraged to apply at non-border U.S. embassies and consulates in conjunction with foreign travel for business or pleasure. Those who plan to visit Canada, Mexico or, in the cases of students and exchange visitors, adjacent islands, may re-enter the U.S. within thirty days on expired visas as long as they possess a valid I-94 form unless they are excluded from automatic revalidation, as noted below.

Entering the U.S. - Port of Entry

Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authority to permit or deny admission to the United States. In advance of travel, prospective travelers should review important information about Admissions/Entry requirements, as well as information related to restrictions about bringing food, agricultural products or other restricted/prohibited goods explained on the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website.  Additionally, upon arrival (at an international airport, seaport or land border crossing), certain travelers are enrolled in the US-VISIT entry-exit program.

Re-Entry into the U.S. - Important Information

The U.S. Government has undertaken a variety of efforts since September 11 to enhance border security. If you are traveling to the U.S. with a nonimmigrant visa, and are taking a short trip(s) to Canada and Mexico, review the Automatic Revalidation webpage on the CBP website. Anyone who has applied for and been refused visa issuance at a border post is prohibited from re-admission or re-entry to the United States in the same visa category, even though they are in possession of a valid I-94 form. Travelers who are citizens of countries on the State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism are prohibited from re-entering the U.S. using solely an I-94 form if their visa has expired.

Citizens from State Sponsors of Terrorism countries must obtain a new visa (and thus go through a new set of interviews, computer checks, etc.) rather than re-enter the U.S. using solely their I-94 form.