Welcome to the Consular Section

Millions of foreign visitors travel to the United States each year. Others immigrate to live in America permanently. International visitors and immigrants add greatly to our nation, and we welcome them. At the same time, we need to do everything we can to keep everyone in the United States safe. We believe in secure borders and open doors.

What is a visa?

A visa is issued by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. A visa entitles the holder to travel to the United States and apply for admission; it does not guarantee entry. An immigration inspector at the port of entry determines the visa holder's eligibility for admission into the United States.

What type of visa do I need? 

Holiday - Student - Business - Temporary Visits (Non-Immigrant Visas)

You should apply for a nonimmigrant visa if you are a resident of Bahrain and would like to go to the United States for a temporary visit.  Travelers going to the United States for tourism, business, official government purposes, education, exchange programs, and temporary work should apply for a nonimmigrant visa.  The Consular Officer at your embassy or consulate will decide what kind of visa you need at the time of your interview.

Resident (Immigrant Visas)

Individuals who wish to live or reside permanently in the United States should apply for an immigrant visa.  In general, to be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen relative(s) or by a prospective employer. Additionally, the Diversity Visa Program provides a certain number of permanent resident visas annually. These visas are drawn from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.

The Importance of Applying Early

Interest in travel to the United States continues to grow and generally peaks during the summer.  We welcome qualified visitors to apply for visas for tourism, business, education, cultural exchange and other purposes. As you plan for your trip to the United States, we encourage you to plan ahead to allow us enough time to process your visa prior to your intended travel date.  We recommend that travelers begin the visa application process by scheduling an appointment for an interview as early as possible. Although you must provide the address where you will stay in the United States and the name and telephone numbers of a person in the United States who you will visit, you do not need to make travel reservations before applying for your visa.  This will ensure that there is enough time to schedule your interview, review your application, conduct any required administrative processing, and determine whether we can issue a visa.