How to Apply

Labor Certification – Some temporary worker visa categories require your prospective employer to obtain a labor certification or other approval from the Department of Labor on your behalf before filing the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, with USCIS. Your prospective employer should review the Instructions for Form I-129 on the USCIS website to determine whether labor certification is required for you.

Petition Approval – Some temporary worker categories are limited in total number of petitions which can be approved on a yearly basis. Before you can apply for a temporary worker visa at the U.S. Embassy in Iceland, a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, must be filed on your behalf by a prospective employer and be approved by USCIS. For more information about the petition process, eligibility requirements by visa category, and numerical limits, if applicable, see Working in the U.S. and Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers on the USCIS website. Once the petition is approved, USCIS will send your prospective employer a Notice of Action, Form I-797.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States, unless exempt by country-specific agreements. If more than one person is included in your passport, each person who needs a visa must submit a separate application.

  • Completed Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160

Please note that you must answer EVERY question on the application forms. If the answer to a question is “none,” please write “none”(Do not leave it blank). Incomplete/incorrect forms will be returned and will require you to schedule a new interview appointment. Each applicant needs her or his own DS-160 form, including minor children

Important! Many of our visa applicants are completing the DS-160 incorrectly, causing us to postpone their planned visa interview dates.

Only a passport, DS-160 confirmation page, 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inch) color photo not older than 6 months – with a light or white background and you cannot wear glasses. You also need the forms listed in Step 2, and the Receipt Number for your approved petition as it appears on your Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) or Notice of Action (Form I-797), from USCIS.

L Visa Applicants – If you are included in an L blanket petition, you must bring Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition, to your interview.

All visa applicants, except H-1B and L, will generally need to show proof of compelling ties to your home country to demonstrate your intent to return after your temporary stay in the United States. Examples of compelling ties include:

  • A residence abroad which you do not intend to abandon
  • Your family relationships
  • Your economic situation
  • Your long term plans

To schedule an appointment for a non-immigrant visa (NIV) interview, please consult the Embassy’s online NIV Appointment System. Please have your DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form Confirmation Number handy. It is located on your DS-160 confirmation page, in bold print.

Please submit your documents when you come to your visa interview including your completed DS-160 confirmation sheet, forms listed in Step 2, a 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inch) color photo not older than 6 months, and a valid passport.

Each applicant needs his or her own DS-160 form, including minor children.

On the day of your interview, please pay the following nonrefundable visa application fees: $185 for B-1 (Business) and B-2 (Tourism & Visit) nonimmigrant visas; $205 for H, L, O, P, Q, and R visas; and $ 315 for E visas. PAYABLE IN CASH ONLY, either in ISK or U.S. dollars. Credit cards, debit cards, and smartphone payments are NOT accepted for this fee. Please note that this is an application fee and is non-refundable. 

Other Fees:

  • L visa fraud prevention and detection fee – for visa applicant included in L blanket petition (principal applicant only): $500.00. PAYABLE IN CASH ONLY, either in ISK or U.S. dollars.
  • The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-113) increases fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitioners. Consular sections collect this fee for blanket L-1 visa applications (principal applicant only) filed by petitioners who employ 50 or more individuals in the United States if more than 50 percent of those individuals are in H-1B or L-1 nonimmigrant status: $4,500.00.
  • As of November 12, 2019, there is an additional reciprocity fee for H-1B, H-4, I, L-1 and L-2. Fees for Icelandic applicants:
  • L-1 and L-2 applicants will have to pay a reciprocity fee of $118.
  • I applicants will have to pay a reciprocity fee of $138.
  • H-1B and H-4 applicants will have to pay a reciprocity fee of $10.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ELECTRONIC DEVICES:

The US Embassy does not permit laptops, tablets or large electrical/electronic devices to be brought into the consular waiting room.  Please do not bring your electronic devices to your visa interview or any other appointment you have with the Consular Section.  The Embassy provides no storage for your electronic devices and customers coming to their appointment with a prohibited item(s) will not be permitted to enter the Embassy. The following small personal electronic devices may be brought into the consular waiting room, so long as they comply with all other Embassy procedural security requirements:  Cellphones, smart phones, iPods and MP3 players, wearable electronic fitness devices, handheld gaming devices, smartwatches.

During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.

Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process.

If your visa is approved, you may have to pay a country-specific reciprocity fee.

If your visa is approved it should be ready for pick up within 4 days.

YOU SHOULD NOT BUY NON-REFUNDABLE PLANE TICKETS UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR VISA.

PROCESSING DELAYS OCCASIONALLY OCCUR.