- How to Apply
- After the Interview
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 Podgorica, 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.
Step 1. Check the Validity of Your Passport
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States and contains one blank page to place a visa. Likewise, the U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP) agency recommends having one additional blank page in your passport for the entry stamp.
Step 2. Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
Complete Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
Please note that you must answer EVERY question on the application to the best of your knowledge. 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.
Step 3. Collect any Supporting Documentation
Only a passport, DS-160 confirmation page, a photo, 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 are required for the visa interview.
A 5×5 cm color photo must not be older than 6 months with a light or white background, without glasses, hairline and ears MUST be clearly visible.
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
Step 4. Schedule an Interview Appointment
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.
IMPORTANT: Some visa applicants can schedule appointment via e-mail. For more information, please visit our APPOINTMENT page.
Fill out a REQUEST to accompany an applicant two business days prior to the scheduled appointment, if you are:
- Parents of child under age of 18, or
- Caretaker for people with special needs.
Step 5. Interview for your visa with the Consular Officer
On the day of your interview, please pay the following nonrefundable visa application fee. The MRV fee can be paid in Euros only. Credit cards cannot be accepted. The Embassy strongly encourages applicants to bring the exact amount of the MRV fee.
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.
If your visa has been denied, you may find useful information on Ineligibilities and Waivers on usvisas.state.gov.
Step 6. Return to Collect Your Passport and Visa
If you are issued the visa, typically, you can pick up your passport in seven days. Passports are available for pick up every Tuesday and Friday from 12:00PM until 12:10PM. Closed on U.S. & Montenegrin Holidays
Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 90 days of the visa interview. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.
