2006 Press Releases
Electronic Visa Application Form Mandatory as of November 1, 2006
October 10, 2006
As of November 1st, all applicants worldwide who wish to apply for tourist, student, or other non-immigrant visas to the United States must complete the visa application form on the internet using the Electronic Visa Application Form, or EVAF accessible through http://evisaforms.state.gov/
In September 2003, the US Department of States’ Consular Affairs introduced a web-based non-immigrant visa (NIV) application form that can be used in lieu of the DS-156 and DS-156 paper application form. This form, called the Electronic Visa Application Form or EVAF, allows applicants to fill out the NIV application online, print it out, and bring it to the consular section or other data entry point. The EVAF prints out with a barcode which consular sections can read in order to enter the applicant’s information into the State Department’s visa database.
The EVAF process allows applicants to fill out their application from any internet-connected computer. The format and the questions are identical to the paper version of the NIV application form. The EVAF makes the NIV application process more efficient. It saves data entry time in the consular section, and reduces data entry errors.
The EVAF can be found at http://evisaforms.state.gov/, and is available in English, Spanish, Polish, Korean, Japanese, French, German, and Portuguese.
EVAF has been designed to keep your application data safe and secure. Its security and privacy has been proven through millions of applications.
Worldwide use of EVAF
Since the introduction of the Electronic Visa Application Form in September 2003, more and more posts have been making use of this time-saving tool. In fact, just three years after the EVAF was introduced, very few posts are still doing on-site NIV data entry, and over 50 percent of all NIV applicants use the EVAF. At 44 posts, over 80 percent of NIV applications are done through EVAF, in places from Tashkent to La Paz to Beijing, with posts as varied as Bern, Kingston, and Tokyo regularly topping the 90 percent mark.
Most other posts that do not use the EVAF outsource their data entry and download it through a remote data entry program. Posts in India, Cuba, Senegal and others process over 95 percent of their applications this way.
EVAF use mandatory as of November 1, 2006
Applicants may begin using the EVAF immediately. As of November 1, 2006, the American Embassy will accept only EVAFs.
As of November 1st, all applicants worldwide who wish to apply for tourist, student, or other non-immigrant visas to the United States must complete the visa application form on the internet using the Electronic Visa Application Form, or EVAF.
Beginning November 1st, applications submitted with a handwritten or typewriter typed DS-156 visa application form can no longer be accepted. Applicants who submit a handwritten or typewriter typed DS-156 application forms will be asked to complete and print out the new EVAF application form, which is available online at http://evisaforms.state.gov/. Visa application forms printed from the internet and then filled out will not be accepted. The forms must be completed online and then printed. Truly emergency cases, decided on a case-by-case basis, are exempt from this requirement.
Applicants may access the EVAF from their personal internet account or from public libraries and other public internet access sites throughout the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Frequently asked Questions
Q: Why is the State Department requiring the EVAF?
A: When applicants use the EVAF, they help our consular posts improve the visa services we provide our customers. The EVAF, which has been online for more than three years, allows for quicker and more accurate data entry. Our customers do not have to wait for us to enter the data, and therefore can have their interviews and receive their visas more quickly.
Q: Doesn't this process disadvantage those applicants from developing countries or those who do not have internet access at home?
A: We do not believe that this is the case. In fact, many developing countries have high numbers of Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery applicants – all of whom have had to apply online since 2003. Despite this requirement, the countries with the highest number of DV entries continue to be from countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, and Ukraine. We believe the same thing will happen with the new NIV requirement – legitimate travelers will still be able to apply. In fact, the electronic form should make the process easier for many applicants who no longer need to travel to the consular section to pick up a visa form.
Q: The EVAF is not available in my local language/The EVAF requires me to type in English. How can I use it?
A: Our visa system requires the information is entered in English with Roman characters, so the EVAF entries must be in English. If you have questions, call the U.S. Visa Information Service at 1-800-763-6812 from the Bahamas or 1-877-709-1892 from Turks and Caicos or visit the websites at http://nassau.usembassy.gov/ or http://www.travel.state.gov/.
Q: I have to travel for an emergency reason. Do I need to fill out the EVAF?
A: In most cases, you will still need to fill out the EVAF. Visit the website http://nassau.usembassy.gov/ or http://www.travel.state.gov/ for more information.
Q: I don't have Internet access at home. May I come into the Embassy and fill out my form there?
A: The U.S. Embassy in Nassau does not have public Internet access available; however, you are free to use any public access internet available, including public libraries and other internet sites.