Embassy of the United States

Types of Nonimmigrant Visas

U.S. law establishes many different categories of nonimmigrant visas.  The specific category required depends on the purpose of travel.  For example, tourism, business, study, temporary employment, official missions all require a different category of visa.  Eligibility requirements, application forms and necessary documents also differ for each category of visa.

Information on the most common visa categories can be found by clicking on the following links:

• Tourism and Business 
• Students
• Exchange Visitors
• Government Officials and International Organization Travelers
• Temporary Workers

Information on other categories can be found here.

Applying For A Nonimmigrant Visa

Full instructions on applying for a nonimmigrant visa can be found at www.ustraveldocs.com/my. But in a nutshell, the process is as follows:

- Complete the DS-160 application forms. See "Nonimmigrant Visa Forms" below.

- Pay the application fee at any branch of Standard Chartered Bank. See "Fees" below.

- Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/my and make an appointment online. Appointments are normally available within a few days. See here for up-to-date visa wait times.

- Come to the Embassy at the appointed date and time for an interview and fingerscanning.

- If visa is approved, your passport will be returned to you within a few days at the address chosen when you made your appointment.

Nonimmigrant Visa Forms

Nonimmigrant visa applicants need to complete one or more of the following forms:

All applicants must complete the DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form.  This form can be completed online.  When complete, print only the confirmation page and bring it to the Embassy at the time of your interview. 

The DS-160 can be accessed at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/.  An extensive list of Frequently Asked Questions is available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_4401.html.

Although you upload a photo when completing the form, we ask that you bring a photo with you to avoid delay in case your photo did not upload properly.

See "Frequently Asked Questions on Nonimmigrant Visas" for information on other items you should bring to the interview. 

Bank Payment Process Change: Review the new instructions for paying at the bank. Starting September 1, 2012, it will be necessary to bring the printed deposit slip to the bank for payment. The bank will not process your visa fee without the correct deposit slip.

Application fees are as below:

There are exceptions to the fee requirement; details can be found here.  The application fee must be paid at a branch of Standard Chartered Bank.

Students and exchange visitors must pay the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee, currently $200 for students and $180 for exchange visitors.  Exchange visitors sponsored by the U.S. government (program codes starting with G-1, G-2, G-3 or G-7) are exempt.  The fee can be paid online, via Western Union or by mailing a check or money order (PDF 96KB).  The fee cannot be paid at the Embassy.

Beneficiaries of blanket L-1 (intra-company transferee) visa petitions must pay a $500 fraud prevention and detection fee.  This fee may be paid at the Embassy -- in U.S. dollars, Malaysian ringgit or by credit card -- when applying for the visa.  (Note: The petitioner pays this fee for individual L, H-1B and H-2B petitions -- that is, where the applicant's name appears on the petition -- when the petition is filed in the U.S.)

Some nationalities may have to pay a fee when their visa is issued.  The fees vary by nationality and visa classification.  Please check here to see if a fee is required and how much it will be.  Issuance fees can be paid at the Embassy when applying for the visa.