Visas to the U.S.
What is a visa?
A visa is issued by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. A visa entitles the holder to travel to the United States and apply for admission. It does not guarantee entry. An immigration inspector at the port of entry determines the visa holder's eligibility for admission into the United States and their length of stay.
Who needs a visa?
Kazakhstani citizens, like citizens of most countries, require a visa to enter the United States. Citizens of certain countries may enter the United States without a visa if they are traveling for pleasure, business or in transit and they meet certain other requirements. Click here for more information on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Types of visas
Non-Immigrant Visas are for people with permanent residence outside the United States, but who wish to go to the U.S. on a temporary basis - for tourism, business, medical treatment, temporary work, or study.
Immigrant Visas are required by anyone seeking to take up indefinite or permanent residence in the United States. Upon entry into the United States, an immigrant visa holder is processed for a Permanent Resident Card (I-551), commonly known as a Green Card.
ATTENTION!
Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131. This increase allows the Department to recover the costs of security and other enhancements to the non-immigrant visa application process.
Under U.S. law, agencies are expected to recover the costs of providing services insofar as possible. The increase in this fee is necessary for the Department to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas. New security-related measures have caused the cost of providing NIVs to rise significantly. In addition, the Department's previous cost study in 2004 showed that the $100 fee was insufficient to permit the Department to recover the costs of providing MRVs. The Department nevertheless made a decision to keep the fee at $100 and has been absorbing the excess MRV costs since then. With costs rising even further due to the new security measures in place, the Department can no longer afford to continue absorbing the excess cost of providing MRVs.
