Any person who is legally present in Uzbekistan may apply for a visa in Uzbekistan. However, applicants are generally advised to apply in their country of nationality or residence. It is generally easiest to demonstrate your strong ties abroad in the country where you permanently reside.

Yes. There are only a few exceptions to the interview requirement. Applicants for A1, A2 (official travelers on central government business), C2, C3 (central government officials in transit on central government business) or G1, G2, G3, G4 (central government officials traveling in connection with an international organization, or employees of an international organization) generally do not have to appear in person.

Review the website on Visa Types for specific information on documentary requirements for the type of visa you are applying for. For most applicants, the only documents you are required to bring to your interview are a printed copy of your appointment letter, your DS-160 confirmation page, one 5x5cm photograph taken within the last 6 months, your passport. You may choose to bring whatever other evidence you believe will help to establish your strong ties to Uzbekistan. However, more important than any number of documents is a clear and honest narrative of your planned trip to the United States and your ties abroad.

If you have education or work experience in a specialized scientific field (including applied sciences like engineering or computer science), it may also be helpful to bring a current resume and a list of your scientific publications.

Due to security concerns and space limitations, U.S. consular sections do not permit interested parties such as friends, relatives, attorneys or business contacts to attend the visa interview with the applicant. If an interested party wishes to provide information to a specific consular section concerning a particular visa applicant, they are encouraged to supply this information directly to the applicant. The applicant can then bring this information with them to the visa interview.

Applicants under the age of 16 may be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.  All accompanying adults must also sign up for an appointment. This is true even if the accompanying adults are not applying for visas themselves. In order to schedule an appointment, the accompanying adult must send an E-mail message to  the Consular Section at ConsularTashkent@state.gov and request scheduling an appointment for the same date and time as the minor they will be accompanying.

Interpreters are also not allowed at the visa interview. Our staff speaks English, Russian, and Uzbek and will be able to communicate with the visa applicants.

Each non-immigrant visa application is a separate process. You must apply in the normal manner, even if you had a visa before and even if your current non-immigrant visa is still valid.

Yes. Many immigrant visa petitions are subject to wait times of several years or more (current wait times can be found on this site). During that wait, you are still eligible to apply for a non-immigrant visa to travel to the United States for a short visit. However, be aware that you must still prove that you do not plan to immigrate to the United States at the current time, despite your plans to do so in the future.

Although applicants often have a sponsor who offers to provide plane tickets, accommodations or meals, applicants themselves, not the sponsor, must ultimately qualify for the visa. The interviewing consular officer carefully considered your sponsor’s willingness to finance your trip during the decision-making process. While a sponsor may be willing to guarantee an applicant’s return, he or she does not have the legal authority to force a visitor to return to Uzbekistan. Visa applicants must qualify for the visa according to their own circumstances, not on the basis of a sponsor’s assurances.

The validity of a visa cannot be extended regardless of its type. You will need to apply for a new visa.

• Yes, you must complete the DS-160 and bring a printed copy of the DS-160 confirmation page with you when you go for your interview at the U.S. Embassy. You do not have to print out the entire DS-160 form — just the confirmation page including your personalized bar code.

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after your interview with a consular officer. You are advised of this possibility when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the visa interview. This web page on the Consular Affairs website has more information about administrative processing.

As soon as you receive your visa, check to make sure all your personal information printed on the visa is correct. If any of the information on your visa does not match the information in your passport or is otherwise incorrect, please contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy immediately.

The expiration date of your visa is the last day you may use the visa to enter the United States. It does not indicate how long you may stay in the United States. Your stay is determined by the Department of Homeland Security at your port of entry. Be aware, however, that staying significantly longer than you indicated at the time of your application can negatively affect your ability to receive another U.S. visa.

As long as you comply with the Department of Homeland Security decision on the conditions of your stay, you should have no problem.

No. You may stay in the United States for the period of time and conditions authorized by the Department of Homeland Security officer when you arrived in the United States, which will be noted on the I-94, even if your visa expires during your stay.

Your airline should give you a blank Customs Declaration form 6059B. Only one Customs Declaration is required for a family traveling together.

A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States, but allows a foreign citizen coming from abroad to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request permission to enter the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authority to permit or deny admission to the United States, and determine how long a traveler may stay. At the port of entry, upon granting entry to the United States, the Customs and Border Protection officer will determine the length of stay permitted. Previously, travelers received a paper I-94 (record of admission) with this information. This process is now automated. The traveler will be provided with a CBP admission stamp on their travel document that shows the date of admission, class of admission, and admitted-until date. If a traveler needs a copy of their I-94 for verification of alien registration, immigration status or employment authorization, it can be obtained from www.cbp.gov/I94.

You can review information about admission on the CBP Website. The Department of State’s Consular Affairs website has more information about duration of stay.

This process is being automated but if you received a paper I-94 and you returned home with your Form I-94 (white) or Form I-94W (green) Departure Record in your passport, it is possible that your departure was not recorded properly. Do not give your I-94 or I-94W to the U.S. Embassy or any other office.

If you departed by a commercial air or sea carrier (airlines or cruise ships), your departure from the U.S. can be independently verified, and it is not necessary to take any further action, although holding on to your outbound (from the U.S.) boarding pass can help facilitate your reentry next time you come back to the United States.

If you departed by land, private vessel or private plane, visit the Customs and Border Protection web site for further instructions.

Any inquiries on completing the DS-160 can be addressed on the following website. We are unable to answer any questions or provide guidance on this process.

Yes. However, as soon as you receive your biometric passport, please notify us via e-mail and include all the passport details in your email. In addition, you will need to bring the copy of your old passport with your new biometric passport on the day of the interview.

Your friend/relative/colleague is the visa applicant. Visa records are confidential under U.S. law. Therefore, only visa applicants may inquire about the status of their application.Because of confidentiality of visa records, you will need to ask your friend/relative/colleague, the visa applicant your questions about whether a visa application was made, or a visa was issued or denied.