Frequently Asked Questions

Application and issuance fees

• How do I pay the application fee?
• You have returned the copy of my receipt, what should I do?
• I withdrew my application for a visa. Can I get a refund?
• I paid the application fee, but decided not to apply. Can I get my money back?
• My application was refused. Why can’t I get a refund?
• Before I applied for the visa, I paid a fee into the bank. Why am I being asked to pay an additional fee?
• How do I pay the issuance fee?
• Can I pay the application and issuance fee together?
• I paid the issuance fee via bankgiro. Can I get my money back?
• Why is the issuance fee more/less than my friend?
• The fee schedules indicate that the validity period for the visa is three months. However, I will not be traveling to the U.S. within the next three months; what should I do?
• What if the visa does not cover my entire stay in the U.S.?
• What do you mean by single entry/one entry?
• Visa Denials

Members of the Entertainment Profession, Athletes, & Artists

• I'm a professional tennis player/ golfer/race car driver. What type of visa do I require?
• I'm accompanying a professional golfer on tour to the United States. What type of visa do I require?
• We are a professional football team traveling to the United States to play match. What type of visa do we require?
• I'm a professional football player who has been signed up by a U.S. football team to play a match/ for a season. What type of visa do I require?
• I'm a racecar mechanic/engineer accompanying a professional racing team to the U.S. What type of visa do I require?
• I'm a professional boxer. What type of visa do I require?
• I'm a jockey/groom. What type of visa do I require?
• I'm a crewmember of a yacht, which is in an international competition. What type of visa do I require?
• I'm a amateur hockey player asked to join a professional U.S. team for a try out. What type of visa do I require?
• We are a professional theatre group performing at an international festival in the U.S. What type of visa do we require?
• I'm a disc jockey who is contracted to perform in the U.S.; what type of visa do I require?
• We are musicians who are recording in the United States, what type of visa do we require?
• We are a choir who have been invited to perform in the United States. What type of visa do we require?

Miscellaneous NIV Issues

• I-94 (ENTRY CARD)
• Can I enter the U.S. on my student (F-1) or (M-1) visa or exchange visitor (J-1) visa before the school/the exchange program begins?
• Can I take a holiday after I have completed my studies/exchange program?
• I have not yet received my I-20 or DS-2019 form, but my classes begin in just a few days. It doesn’t look like I will receive the I-20/DS-2019 form prior to my scheduled departure from Sweden. What should I do?
• I have been studying in the U.S. and will shortly be going to the U.S. to start or resume my one-year of post-school Optional Practical Training. I have received an Employment Authorization Card from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Do I still need a student visa to do my Optional Practical Training?
• What should I do with the I-94/I-94W from my last visit to the U.S.?
• How long Must I be Outside the U.S. to get another 90 Days on the Visa Waiver Program?
• I have a visa; do I also need a return ticket?
• Do I need any vaccinations?
• What do I do about health insurance?
• I have a holiday home in the U.S.; how long can I remain there?
• Can I take my medicine into the U.S.?
• Where is the Embassy located?
• What are the working hours of the Visa Unit?
• Can I drive while in the U.S.?
• Can I bring a pet to the U.S?
• How can I renew my visa?
• How can I change my status in the U.S.?
• How long can I stay in the U.S.?

Passports

• I lost my passport and the Swedish Passport Police issued me a one-year passport; is it valid for travel to the U.S.?
• Does my Swedish passport have to be valid for six months?
• What If I am traveling visa free?
• My passport has expired or been damaged.  However, I still have a valid U.S. visa in the passport.  What should I do?

Visa Refusals

• My application was refused under Section 214(b). If I send in more documents will I receive a visa?
• What does a consular officer look for when determining an applicant's entitlement to Nonimmigrant status?
• I’m already in Sweden, why can’t you issue me a visa here?
• I am a legal resident of Sweden. Why don’t I qualify?
• Why didn’t they tell me when I called that I would not get a visa?
• Why can’t I get my money back?
• Why have you stamped the back of my passport?
• Will the stamp in my passport prevent me from getting a visa in the future?
• Isn’t free travel a human right?

Visas

• How long is a visa good for?
• Does a visa guarantee that I can enter the United States?
• I have a visa in my old passport. Can I just transfer it over?
• My passport containing a valid visa has expired. I've obtained a new passport; do I need a new visa?
• My old visa says "Indefinite" is it still valid?
• Why was my B-1/B-2 "indefinite" visa cancelled when I recently traveled to the United States?
• Why, when I've always held an indefinite visa, was I recently issued with a B-1/B-2 visa valid for only ten years?
• My passport will expire soon; do I need to get a new passport or visa?
• How long can I stay in the United States?
• If I just have a tourist visa, what sorts of activities can I do in the States?
• I have a visa; do I also need a return ticket?