2006 Press Releases

Student, Work and Tourist Visas

January 9, 2006

STUDENT AND WORK VISAS

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain announces an important change to its procedures for student and work visas. Please note that these changes do not apply to legal permanent residents, or “green card” holders.

Effective Thursday January 19, 2006, all applicants for student visas (visa categories F, M and J), work permit visas (visa category H), and intra company transfer visas (visa category L) must appear for their interview between 7:30-10:30 AM on any Monday through Thursday.  Applicants for these types of visas do not need to make an appointment but do need to pay the normal 100 USD application fee at any TT Post location.  Applicants for these visas categories must also complete their application forms electronically. These forms are available at https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp.

In addition, student and work visa applicants must also complete the DS-158 (Work History Form) online as well.  The form can be accessed at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/12154.pdf. 

Male applicants between the ages of 16-45 must fill out the DS-157 Supplemental Form available at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/7769.pdf. 
Please ensure that you fill out the application online and then print out the completed application form. Applicants must bring all printed pages of the application form, including the bar code on page 3, to their interview. Please do not send the application electronically to the Embassy.

Also, we would like to remind all student visa applicants enrolling in a new school after September 1, 2004 that the SEVIS I-901 fee should be paid prior to appearing for the visa interview. For information regarding this fee, please visit http://www.ice.gov/sevis or contact your school’s international advisor.

TOURIST VISAS

Please be advised that the wait for Non Immigrant (Holiday) visa appointments is now less than 5 working days.  However, if you plan to travel to the United States this summer, we encourage you to make an appointment soon in order to avoid the summer rush.

We urge all holiday visa applicants to complete their application forms electronically as well. APPLICANTS WHO FILL OUT THE FORM ELECTRONICALLY WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY PROCESSING AND SHOULD EXPERIENCE A SHORTER WAIT FOR THEIR INTERVIEW ON THE DAY OF THEIR APPOINTMENT.  

Also, we would like to remind all visa applicants to bring only those items relevant to the visa application to their interview. Security requirements preclude bringing many personal items into the Consular pavilion.

In response to numerous inquiries, we remind current visa holders that U.S. visas remain valid even in an expired passport.  Simply attach the old passport with the valid US visa to the new passport.

FRAUD

Finally, the Embassy warns visa applicants that attempts to commit fraud will be referred to the Trinidad and Tobago Fraud Squad, and individuals will be subject to arrest and prosecution.  Attempting to obtain a U.S. visa through fraudulent means - either by submitting false or misleading job letters, bank statements, lying to a Consular Officer, misrepresenting facts whether by omission or statement, or obtaining fraudulent re-entry stamps - may prevent you from ever receiving a visa to the United States.  In addition, facilitating the issuance of a visa to another applicant through fraudulent means constitutes alien smuggling and will result in a permanent ineligibility for a U.S visa.