General Information

Welcome to the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Unit, Dakar

The U.S. welcomes temporary travelers with open doors and secure borders. Foreign travelers to the U.S. make great contributions to the American economy, culture, and education.  Many nationals, including Senegalese, must have a visa to travel to the U.S. For information about nationals who do not require visas, please click on the Visa Waiver Program link to the right.

Only a U.S. consular officer may issue a U.S. visa. Most visa applicants must have an interview with a U.S. consular officer before he or she can determine visa eligibility. 

Prior to your interview, you must pay a 160 U.S. Dollar processing fee at the ECOBANK agencies. You do not need to pay the fee in person and the receipt is valid for one year. The fee will not be refunded even if you are not eligible for a visa.

You must be on time for your appointment and you must submit all of the required documents. If you are late or do not have all required documents, you will not be permitted to enter the consular section and will need to reschedule your interview by calling the USVIS. 

Please do not bring a cell phone or lap top computer with you to your appointment. This will delay your security screening.

You must bring the following items to your appointment: 

• The confirmation page of the online application DS-160
• A current passport valid for six months after your appointment date.
• Receipt for payment of the 160 U.S. dollar processing fee.

Depending on the purpose of your travel, you may have to submit additional forms.  To learn more about requirements for specific types of NIVs, please click on the relevant link to the left.

You must use the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC), the online form DS-160 and print the confirmation page.  By using the DS-160, you can ensure that the information you provide is recorded accurately and the consular section can process your case more quickly.  To have more information about the CEAC, please click on the link to the right.

A consular officer can consider your visa eligibility only during your visa interview.  Therefore, you should bring to the interview any documentation that would help you establish your eligibility.  Your friends and contacts should not send any documentation directly to the U.S. Embassy since any documents received outside of the interview are destroyed.  Instead, friends and contacts should send you the documentation so you can bring it to your interview. 

On the day of your interview, you should arrive at the embassy early in the morning.  A consular employee will first confirm that you have all required documents listed above.  If you have these documents, you will pass through a security screening and enter the consular waiting room.  Please take a number and take a seat in the outside waiting room.  When your number is announced on the electronic board, please proceed to the specified window.  A consular section employee will ask you for your supporting documents, confirm the type of visa you are applying for, verify that the data entered into the computer is correct, and prepare your file for your interview with a consular officer.  Once the consular officer is ready to interview you, she or he will call your name.   The typical interview lasts between three and five minutes so it is very important to be well prepared. 

If you are ready to schedule your appointment, please clink on the Scheduling an Appointment link to the left.