Ask the Consul General

Mahmoud from Switzerland writes:  I want to apply for J1 to do my management training for 18 months in the US. Is it possible for me to get the visa, even if I am Lebanese? I heard that it is difficult to obtain because I have a Lebanese Passport.
Thank you very much.

Consul General Rosen:  That is a very good question, Mahmoud. In fact, we regularly issue visas to people of all nationalities here at the Embassy in Bern, including many Lebanese. Please feel free to apply for your visa with us!

You didn’t mention if you were a temporary or permanent resident of Switzerland, but this distinction usually makes the biggest difference. Consuls in US Embassies must see that you have every intention of returning to your home after your program is over, and to do this they usually evaluate your social and economic ties to your home. If you are a permanent resident of Switzerland or Liechtenstein, then the Consul interviewing you would evaluate your ties here just as they do with any other local applicant. If your permanent home is somewhere else, then it’s possible the US Embassy or Consulate closest to your home would be best equipped to evaluate your ties to that area. If applying in your home district is inconvenient or simply not possible, our staff here in Bern will do its best to evaluate your application and enable you to complete your application here. Switzerland has many non-Swiss residents and visitors, so it is not unusual to receive applications from all nationalities. 

Finally, let me encourage you to apply as early as you can for your visa. Most approved visas are mailed out just a few days (or even a few hours) after the appointment at the Embassy, but sometimes special administrative processing is required that can delay a final decision on a visa by days or even weeks. Applying early helps ensure that this doesn’t needlessly delay travel. I wish you the best of luck with your training!

B.M. from Manchester City, New Hampshire writes:  I' m living in America and I need some information about a visa for my daughter living in Switzerland. She wants to come in America for vacation for two weeks.

Consul General Rosen:  Thank you for your question! For the short trip you described, your daughter could travel to the US with a regular visa for business or pleasure (what we call a B1/B2 visa). Also, if she has a Swiss passport, she may be able to travel without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. You can read the details of the program at http://travel.state.gov.

Taya from Switzerland writes:  I have the following questions:
1. My husband (a South African citizen) is going to get an employment visa in the USA and has found a firm that is going to "sponsor" him. How long will it last till he gets a green card? 
2. I am going to apply for the dependent visa. As I have heard I can get a visa and wait for the immigration visa in the USA. What is the waiting time to get it?
3. Will I have to present the Swiss marriage certificate translated into English? 
4. I know that in order to get an immigration visa I need to present a medical exam to the embassy, including all vaccinations. Can I do it at my house doctor in Switzerland or does the embassy have a list of doctors and procedures that should be done? 
5. Is it true that the child that is born in the USA gets American citizenship automatically?
 I thank you in advance for your answers!

Consul General Rosen:  Hello Taya! Congratulations on starting the immigrant visa process! From beginning to end, the process can be very long but extremely rewarding. The exact timing is different for every case and every person, so I couldn't venture a guess here. Suffice it to say you should plan to remain here in Switzerland and not start any process to move to the US until you've formally received the immigrant visa. Since you and your husband could apply for the visa together, you would receive the visa at the same time.

When someone enters the United States with an immigrant visa, they actually "receive" their “green card “ immediately upon arrival.  If everything is in good order, the immigration official at the airport will stamp the passport, and that stamp will serve as a "temporary green card” until the actual document arrives in the mail.

Foreign documents must be translated into English when petitioning for an immigrant visa.  Many international documents are already translated into several world languages and do not require additional translations.  Swiss marriage certificates are accepted without translation for individuals applying for immigrant visas in Bern.

You are correct that immigrant visa applicants require a physical examination before a visa can be issued, and yes, applicants must use an authorized doctor from the list that the embassy provides.  These doctors are chosen by the embassy and are familiar with our forms and policies.  They are located throughout Switzerland, so applicants should be able to find one conveniently located by them.

Finally...yes! The fourteenth amendment to the US Constitution states "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." So with only a few exceptions, anyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States.

Atchara from Switzerland writes:  I used to work in USA but I lost my social security card and forgot its number. Who should I contact to get it?

Consul General Rosen:  Hello Atchara! We have a “Federal Benefits Unit” at the Embassy and the helpful staff in that office will be able to assist you.  They provide a wide range of services, including helping people replace social security cards. You can reach them here in Bern at (031) 357-7235. If you have other questions about the US Social Security system, they would be happy to help you with that too.

Y.Z. from Switzerland writes:  It's very kind for you to offer me such chance to communicate with you by mail.  I would like to ask some questions about applying for an F1 visa to study in the US.  I'm a Chinese citizen who is now working in Switzerland.  I'd like to study in a US university for a masters program in the fall semester. So far, I have received an offer of admission with a fellowship which is not attached to a remission of tuition.  My questions are:
1. Where shall I apply for a visa?  China or Switzerland?
2. May I apply now since I've got the admission letter and I-20 from university?
3. Currently I have the amount of money only for the first year of study on my own finance account.  Is it enough for the Embassy to issue me a visa? Or shall I prepare the amount of money to support my entire study of 2 years?
Looking forward to your reply.

Consul General Rosen:  Congratulations on being accepted to a U.S. university! I’m sure you’re going to have a great experience.  Thanks for your series of questions…let me dive right into them.

To your first question—I encourage you to apply at the location where you have the strongest ties.  If your home is in China and you are temporarily in Switzerland, then China may be the best place for you to apply.  Regardless of where you apply, you will have to demonstrate to the Consular officer that you intend to return home after your study in the US.  A Consular officer in your country of residence will be in the best position to understand your situation and establish this fact.

Having said all that, temporary residents of Switzerland do apply in Bern all the time, and you should feel free to do so if it is not practical to apply in China.  Be sure to bring whatever documentation you can to show your intent to return, and come ready to discuss it during your interview!

As to your second question— once you have been accepted by the school and have the I-20 form confirming that, you can start applying for the visa. Before the visa can be issued, you will also need to pay the fee for SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) and show the Consular Officer proof of that payment. You can get information on how to enroll in SEVIS from the university. Once these steps are complete, you could be issued the visa as early as 90 days before the start of your program. As always…apply early!

And finally, for your third question— the Consular Officer is required to see evidence of funds for the first year of study, but should also be convinced that further funding will be available for future years. So yes, it should be sufficient for you to come to your interview with evidence of funds to cover the first year.  You should, however, be prepared to explain how you will finance further study.  If the Consul who interviews you needs to see any further documents, you could simply fax or mail them to the Embassy.

Claudia from Switzerland writes:
Dear Ms. Rosen
Since I'm planning on visiting the USA in Summer 07, I just want to make sure if I require a visa or not to do that. I have the Swiss Passport 03 and on the website of the Swiss Confederation it says that to enter the USA without a visa you either require a Passport 03 which is made before October 26th 2006 or the new biometric Passport. Now I just wanted to ask you if I'd really be able to enter the USA with my Swiss Passport 03 which is issued on November 11th 2004 and which will expire on November 15th 2014.
I'd be really glad if you would be able to answer my question so that I could start planning my vacation.
Thank you very much.

Consul General Rosen:  Thanks for taking part in the chat, Claudia. Many Swiss citizens have been asking the same question since the move to the new biometric passports. Yes, the Swiss “03” model passports are eligible for travel without a visa under the visa waiver program as long as they were issued before October 26, 2006. Any passport issued after that date has to be the new biometric passport (model “06”) with the square biometric icon on the cover in order to be eligible for travel without a visa. Your passport fits into the first category…”03” models issued before the October deadline.

Someone traveling to the USA without a visa under this program has to follow a few guidelines. The most important things to remember are that the stay in the US must be for less than 90 days and the purpose of travel should be for simple business or pleasure. If you intend to do paid or unpaid work in the US, or if you intend to study, then you should apply for a work or student visa at the Embassy.  Also, if you have ever been refused a visa in the past, then you must get a visa before traveling to the US, regardless of the type of passport you have.  For further details about travel under the visa waiver program check our website.

Below is a page from the Embassy’s website that helps people identify which kind of passport they have. Thanks for your interest in the US, and I hope you have a great visit!
http://bern.usembassy.gov/niv_waiver_program.html