Visa Services

Visa Application Process and Required Documentation

New online appointment system

Effective January 1, 2008 all appointments on or after February 15 must be made online with the State Department's new online appointment system.

A visa is required for Trinidad and Tobago nationals wishing to visit the United States. The process for applying for a visa at U.S. Embassy Port of Spain is detailed below.    

1.  Gather all required and recommended documentation. 

The minimum documents required to apply for a visitor visa are as follows: 

• A current passport as well as any previous passports containing U.S. visas;

• A completed DS-156 electronic visa application form;

• TT Post receipts (both originals received from TT Post)

• One passport sized photo with a white background;

• A completed Supplemental Non-Immigrant Visa Application form (DS-157) for males ages 16 to 45

• A Contact Information and Work History Form (DS-158) for student and exchange visa applicants only; and

• A birth certificate or magistrate’s official guardianship document for all children under age 14. As of June 1, 2006, applicants age 2 to 14 must present the new computer generated birth certificate at the time of their interview.

Additional documents may be required for certain visas classes, including the student, temporary worker, or crew visa categories.  Please click here to review the applications requirements for student and exchange visitors as well as temporary workers and crewmember visas.  Additional information may also be found on the State Department website at www.travel.state.gov. 

Applicants for visitor visas should also bring documents that demonstrate strong ties to Trinidad and Tobago. Such documents could include:

• Letters from employers stating position, date of employment, and salary;
• Statements from banks or credit unions indicating current and six month average balance of savings;
• Property titles and valuations; and
• Marriage certificates as well as the spouse’s passport.

For persons who are self employed including the spouses and children of self employed persons; the following documents are required:

• Business registration;
• Last 6 (six) monthly financial statements;
• Tax returns;
• Most recent Income Tax Assessment from the Board of Inland Revenue;
• Any other financial documents relating to the business.

Only one parent will be allowed to accompany a minor child into the Embassy.  However, the accompanying parent should bring both parents' passports as well as documents demonstrating strong ties to Trinidad and Tobago (Job letter, Financial Statements, Deeds...) to their children’s interview.

2.  Pay the application fee (US$131 or TT equivalent) at any TT Post Office. 

Non-immigrant visas issued abroad require a machine-readable fee (MRV fee) that covers the U.S. costs associated with manufacturing, processing, and printing the visa. The 131 USD fee is the application fee. The fee is not refundable and non-transferable. This fee is the same for every U.S. non-immigrant visa application in every country in the world.

3.  Applicants for visitor or B1/B2 visas make their appointments online via the State Department's online appoinment system.  To make your appointment now, click here.

4.  With the exception of groups with five or more members (please note a family of five or more than five does not constitute a group), applicants for all other visa classes can come to the Embassy without an appointment, Monday through Thursday between the hours of 7:30 AM and 10:30 a.m.  Click here for more information about the appointment system.

Please note the following:

• All applicants between the ages of 2 and 80 must appear in person at the Embassy for an interview, after paying the application fee.
• The personal appearance of children under the age of 2 is not required but their application must still be processed through the normal TT Post procedures and at least one parent or guardian must represent the child at the interview. 
• The personal appearance of applicants over 80 years old is not required, but they must pay the TT Post application fee.  Individuals 80 years and over can drop off their applications at the Embassy between 9:00 AM and 11:45 AM, Monday through Friday. To learn more about the drop box, click here.
• Groups with 5 or more members must make a special appointment (please note that a family of five or more than five does not constitute a group).  Groups should call the Embassy at 622-6371/6 between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday to schedule an appointment.  

5.  Come to the Embassy on the day of your scheduled interview with all the aforementioned documents. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or court-ordered guardian.  Both parents’ or guardians’ passports and a permission letter from an absent parent should be brought to the interview.

Please note: In order to secure the safety of our applicants and to ensure that our security screening procedures do not delay or hinder entrance to the Embassy, no electronic devices, including cell telephones, may be brought into the Embassy. Weapons of any kind, large backpacks, suitcases and glass containers are also not permitted.  We strongly recommend that these items be left at home or with a trusted individual since the U.S. Embassy cannot be held accountable for lost or stolen items.  The U.S. Embassy is not associated with, and does not endorse any specific vendor, who might seek to store such items.  We also recommend that applicants bring in only documents relevant to the visa and/or passport application.

6.  If your visa is approved, it will be sent through TT Post within 4-5 business days after your interview.  Please be prepared to pay the $23 TT delivery fee at the Embassy.  Due to increased security requirements, under no circumstances can the Embassy guarantee same day visas.  It takes at least 48 hours to process and finalize your visa.