Visa Services

Changes in Visa Processing Fees

The U.S. Department of State has announced world-wide changes in nonimmigrant and immigrant visa processing fees, also called Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees. The changes will be effective on April 13, 2012. Please see "Changes in Visa Fees" for details.

Important Notice for Diversity Visa (DV) 2012 Entrants

Successful entrants are encouraged to send in their required documents to the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) immediately, so that an interview appointment at the appropriate U.S. Embassy or consulate can be scheduled before the program ends. In order for an appointment to be scheduled with either a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, entrants must first submit the Form DSP-122 and Form DS-230 to KCC. Embassies and consulates only have a limited number of appointments each month, including September, for DV applicants, so it is vital that successful entrants mail these documents to KCC very soon.

DV 2012 ends on September 30, 2012. In addition, if all of the 50,000 DV visas have been issued before that date, the program will end. U.S. Embassies and Consulates only have six months left to issue visas to eligible applicants in the DV 2012 program. Successful entrants should act now. DV-2012 visas cannot be issued after September 30, 2012. Participants are reminded to check the status of their DV entry through Entrant Status Check "Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery" website, using the confirmation numbers they received when they initially submitted their applications.

USCIS Centralizes Filing of Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130

Effective August 15, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) centralized filing of the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) immigrant visa petition. As such, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices, such as Hong Kong and Macau, must now file Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. For details, see "USCIS News."

Note: Prior to August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in Hong Kong and Macau were able to file I-130 petitions for immediate relatives such as their spouse and/or children at the Consulate General in Hong Kong, but absent emergency circumstances, this is no longer allowed.

Rainy and Typhoon Season

The annual rainy and typhoon season has begun and is expected to last until November. Please be advised that if Black Rainstorm Warning OR Typhoon Signal 8 or above is announced by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Consulate General will be closed. In such a situation, there will be no need to reschedule your appointment. Please see "Consular Services During the Rainy and Typhoon Season" for details.

Customer Service Statement to Visa Applicants

Welcome to the Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Units of the U.S. Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau.

The U.S. Consulate General is located at 26 Garden Road in Central, Hong Kong.

We provide the following visa services:

Nonimmigrant Visas - temporary visits for pleasure, exchange programs, study and temporary employment

Immigrant Visas - permanent residency, marriage to an American citizen, adoptions

Visa Inquiries - how to get general visa information and help with case-specific nonimmigrant and immigrant visa inquiries

Visa Waiver Program - information on who can use the Visa Waiver Program for visa-free short-term travel to the United States

Related Links

More information is available on the following websites:

• U.S. Department of State
• Bureau of Consular Affairs - Visa
• Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
• Department of Homeland Security
• US Customs & Border Protection
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• General U.S. Government Info
• US-VISIT (Security measures)
• USCIS Case Status Service Online

Last modified: May 1, 2012