VISA Services

How to Apply Applying for a United States Visa in Samoa People in Samoa can now apply for a visa at the United States Embassy in Apia, instead of traveling to Auckland. Every three months, a consular officer will travel from the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland to Apia to interview applicants. Applicants must fill out the application online, on a computer, then make an appointment online, and pay the normal fee of 340.60 Tala or US$131.00 to the Embassy the day of the appointment. The visiting consular officer can only conduct a limited number of visa interviews per visit. The number of applicants seeking interviews may exceed our interview capacity, so we may not be able to interview all applicants immediately. Alternatively, if you need to travel to the US immediately or your travel to the US will not fall within a visa week, you can make arrangements for travel to NZ to apply for your visa at the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland, New Zealand. For details of applying in NZ, please visit http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/ Step 1: Fill out the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) This must be completed online. Non Immigrant visa application form DS-156 is available online by logging on to the Internet at the following addresses: http://evisaforms.state.gov/ or http://samoa.usembassy.gov/visa_forms.html. Please print your completed form (which includes the barcode number on the third page), sign it and have it ready for submission to the Embassy. A parent should sign it for a child under 14. Attach a recent, 5 x 5 cm color photograph of the applicant's head, on a plain background, front view, full face. Complete the DS-156 application form on the computer by filling in the information requested. Please do not print out the form and fill it in by hand. If you do, you will not be allowed to have an interview. Next, if you are a male aged 16-45 years, go to the DS-157 supplemental application form. This form is only to be completed by male applicants aged 16-45 years. Fill out this form on your computer. Print it out. You can find a Samoan translation of the application forms below. The translations are for reference only. These cannot be used as official forms: Visa Application Form DS-156 non-immigrant visa application (PDF file) - Samoan Visa Application Form DS-157 Supplemental non-immigrant visa application (PDF file) – Samoan Step 2: Schedule an Appointment Scheduling an Appointment: The online calendar for scheduling appointments will open Monday, November 9, 2009 from 2:00pm Apia time. To book an appointment, use the receipt/barcode number (listed on the third page of DS-156 application form), arrange an appointment for December 7-11, 2009 by logging on to the Internet at the following address: Schedule an Appointment for an appointment form. There is a bar code on the third page of your visa application. Under it, there is a number. This is the EVAF number. Enter this number on the appointment form. Choose a time and date for your visa interview at the Embassy and enter the other information requested. Print out the appointment confirmation. Step 3: Deadline for bringing your form to the Embassy before Visa Interview Week: After appointment confirmation, please SUBMIT application form DS-156, one passport photo, passport/copy of passport data page to the Embassy Apia for data entry no later than Friday, November 20, 2009 at 12:00pm Apia time. Your failure to submit before or by this deadline will result in the automatic appointment cancellation, and the slot to be re-opened. Online Calendar Re-open: If you are unsuccessful in getting a slot the first time, please try again on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 3:00pm Apia time to book an appointment. Once successful in confirming appointment, the deadline for application form, passport photo and passport/copy of passport data page to be submitted no later than Wednesday, December 02, 2009 at 12:00pm Apia time. This step is absolutely required. Coming to the Embassy in advance with your form will allow us to put your information into our computer systems before your interview. Doing this ahead of time will make the interview process run faster and could save you and others a long wait on the date of the interview. Step 4: Come to the Interview Please bring the visa application, the appointment confirmation, 340.60 Tala or US$131.00 cash only (personal checks are NOT accepted) to the U.S. Embassy Apia with rest of your supporting documents. US Embassy Apia 5th Floor, Accident Corporation Building, Matafele, Apia, SAMOA Please come at the time and date on your appointment confirmation. If you miss your appointed time, we will not be able to interview you. Step 5: Pick up Your Visa at the Embassy If the application is approved, we will take your passport to Auckland, print your visa there, put it into your passport, and send your passport back to the Embassy in Apia. In most cases, the visa will be ready for pick up in Apia two to three weeks after your interview. Some complicated cases will take longer. The interviewing officer will explain this as necessary.