Non-immigrant visa Frequently Asked Questions

I am an American Citizen and I would like to invite my relative/Friend to visit me in the U.S.  Do I have to send them an invitation?  What do you want me to write in the invitation?
Please note that an invitation letter from a U.S. Citizen is neither a pre-requisite to the issuance of a visa nor a guarantee that one will be issued.  We, therefore, have no specific format/wording for it.  Since the applicant would present his/her documents to the interviewing officer only during his or her interview, invitation letters should be sent/faxed to the invitee and not to our office.  Each applicant is expected to prove to the interviewing Consular Officer that he/she has strong ties to his/her country of origin or permanent residence, not to a relative or friend in the United States.

How much is the application fee?  Why is it non-refundable?
The application fee is currently $131 or DJF 23,600.  We accept cash only.  If payment is made in U.S. dollars, the Embassy accepts only 2001 print or later U.S. dollar notes.  The fee is non-refundable even if the applicant is refused because it is a processing fee and not an issuance fee.

My child is one month old, does [s]he need a visa?  If yes, do I have to pay the fee for him/her even though [s]he is on my passport?
Yes.  A child must have a visa at the time of travel regardless of the child’s age or whether or not s/he is added on a parent’s passport.  Also, the processing fee must be paid for each visa applicant.

How long in advance of my intended date of travel should I apply for a U.S. visa?
It is highly recommended that applicants start the application process at least 1 month in advance of their intended date of travel, since regular Non Immigrant Visa (NIV) appointments are scheduled once a week only, and may be postponed due to compelling administrative reasons making a consular officer unavailable, or because of Embassy closure in observance of Djiboutian or American holidays.  Also, Visa applications are now subject to a greater degree of scrutiny than in the past.  Many applicants are informed of the need for additional screening at the time they submit their applications and are being advised to expect delays.  The time needed for adjudication of individual cases will continue to be difficult to predict.  We recommend that individuals build-in ample time before their planned travel date when seeking to obtain a visa.

I had several US visas before, why do I have to schedule an interview again?
New regulations mandate that all applicants renewing/applying for U.S. visas appear for index finger scans and an interview with a consular officer.  Unless the applicant is under 14 years of age or 80 years old and over, s/he must appear for an interview.

I have a valid US visa that was issued prior to September 11, 2001.  Is it still valid or do I need to obtain a new visa?
Issued tourist visas remain valid until their expiration date, so long as the visa holder has done nothing to cause the visa to be automatically cancelled.  That would include, but is not limited to: overstaying the legal amount of time given for any previous visit, committing a felony, and such acts. Despite the validity of the visa, however, it is the decision of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP created partly from the former Immigration authority known as the INS] to allow a person to enter the United States. By definition, a visa is permission to approach the port of entry. The immigration official at the port of entry will determine whether or not a traveler may enter.

I have a valid visa but my passport has expired. What should I do?

Generally, you may staple the expired passport that contains the valid visa to the new passport, and you should have no problem entering the U.S., provided you still qualifiy with regard to all other aspects of U.S. immigrations laws.

If you do not wish to do so, then you may obtain a new visa on the new passport. To do so however, you will need to pay the required fee, schedule an appointment online for an interview at NIV Appointment Request, and bring proof of your ties to Djibouti. For more information, please refer to the appropriate link on the left, depending on the type of visa you want to request, and to the following link: Visa Application Instructions.


I am an American citizen and I would like to appear with my elderly mother/ relative/ friend for his/her interview but the guards at the gate say they cannot let me, why?

No one may accompany a visa applicant to an interview unless the applicant is a minor, or incapable of communicating in any language spoken by the Embassy staff without the assistance of a certified interpreter, or in need of physical assistance for an obvious medical infirmity.  By law, information from a third party is not germane to the determination of visa eligibility.  Visa eligibility is determined by an American Consular Officer's evaluation of the individual applicant's personal situation with respect to his or her home country and his or her compelling reasons to return to that country after a short stay in the United States.