Format: Download Instructions online
Included: Instructions, Forms Instructions
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| Instructions in Spanish | Instructions in Russian |
C-1 Transit Visa
Overview of the Application Process for a C-1 Transit Visa
| Procedure Name: | C-1 Transit Visa Application, Form DS-160, for travelers who transit though the U.S. by land, water, air |
| Purpose: | The C1 visa allows you to travel in and out of the United States when your final destination is another country. If you have a valid B-1 Business or B-2 Tourist Visa you do not need to obtain a U.S. Transit Visa, because a tourist visa and most U.S. visas also allow you to transit through the U.S. If you are a citizen of one of the Visa Waiver Countries, you do not need to obtain a C-1 Transit Visa, so you can travel free to the U.S. |
| Validity/Expiration: | C-1 Visa holders can stay inside the United States, for a maximum of 29 days in the US with C-1 visa. C-1 Transit Visa holders are required to leave the US within 29 days on the proposed flight or ship of departure. Some applicants may be required to apply for another type of visa, like B-1 Business Visa or a B-2 Tourist Visa in order to visit the United States. |
| Where to Apply: | The application must be started while the applicant is physically present outside the U.S. before traveling abroad, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country of residence. Order this guide to learn more details about the application process and to learn how to start your Transit Visa application. |
| How to Apply: | Order and download this information guide online now to learn how to apply for a C-1 Transit Visa to transit through the U.S. |
General Information about the Transit Visa:
U.S. Immigration has two main categories of visas: immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas are given to visitors that are allowed to travel to the U.S. and stay temporarily, like the F-1 visa for students that plan to go back to their home country after finishing their studies in the U.S., or like the B-1/B-2 visa for business and tourist visitors, among many other types of non-immigrant visas. The other type of visas, immigrant visas, gives you the right to live and work in the U.S. permanently and receive a green card. The immigrant visa, Green Card or US Permanent Resident Card, is only given to immigrants that live or are planning to live in the United States permanently. Green Cards are not supposed to be for people that want to live in a country outside of the U.S. and just come to the U.S. temporarily.
The Transit Visa is a nonimmigrant visa, an official document giving you permission to travel through United States in order to arrive to another country. With this visa you can travel in and out of the United States when your final destination is another country. You do not need to obtain a U.S. Transit Visa, if you have a valid B-1 Business or B-2 Tourist Visa because a tourist visa and most U.S. visas also allow you to transit through the U.S. The transit visa is frequently used by residents of European countries like Spain or England, but have citizenship of another non-European country, so they require a visa to transit through the United States. It is also common to apply for this visa for travelers from Mexico and Latin America, who want to take a flight which stops in the U.S., so it is necessary to apply for a C-1 visa.
Important:
Residents from the countries that qualify for the Visa Waiver Program can transit through United States without the C-1 visa. An immigration officer at the port of entry can admit a person holding a C-1 transit visa for the duration determined by person, but for a maximum of 29 days. C-1 Transit Visa holders are required to leave the US within 29 days on the proposed flight or ship of departure. Some applicants may be required to apply for another type of visas, like the B-1 Business Visa or a B-2 Tourist Visa in order to visit the United States.
Travel purposes which require a C-1 Transit Visa:
- A brief layover in the United States, the only reason to enter the U.S. is to transit;
- The ship makes port in the United States during the trip, but doesn’t land in the U.S.;
- A crewmember traveling to the United States as a passenger to join a ship or aircraft you will work on, providing services for operation. In this case, you will need to obtain a crewmember D visa (C-1/D visa).
- A foreign citizen proceeding in immediate and continuous transit through the United States to or from the United Nations Headquarters District, under provisions of the Headquarters agreement with the United Nations, requires a diplomatic transit (C-2) visa. Travel within the United States will be limited to the immediate New York City vicinity.
Travel purposes that are not allowed a C-1 Transit Visa:
- If you want to visit friends or go sightseeing and a primary purpose is not to transit, a foreign citizen requires a visitor (B) visa;
- A crewmember on a private yacht sailing out of a foreign port which will be cruising in U.S. waters for more than 29 days is generally required to have a visitor (B) visa;
- An officer of a designated international organization assigned to the United States may pass in immediate and continuous transit through the United States on an International Organization (G-4) visa.
How to apply for C-1 Transit Visa?
Order and download these instructions online now to learn how to apply for a United States C1 Transit Visa. This is an overview of the application process.
1) Apply for C-1 Transit Visa online, Form DS-160 and print the application form in order to bring it to interview at a U.S. consulate in your country of residence. Processing times can vary a lot in different countries and there could be delays of several months before you can obtain the visa appointment.
2) Upload your photo. The photo should be uploaded while completing the online Form DS-160.
3) Schedule an appointment for your visa interview, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country of your residence.
4) Pay a visa issuance fee.
5) Prepare required information: passport, visa application, Form DS-160 confirmation page, photo and payment confirmation (if you pay before the interview).
MRV Visa Application Fee: This information package includes instructions how to apply for transit visa C-1 and access to forms to be completed online, but does not include the MRV fee to be paid to apply for a visa or for an appointment at the embassy or consulate. The transit visa application fee (MRV fee) must be paid directly to the embassy or US consulate where you submit your visa application C-1. Follow the instructions in this manual to complete the processing of transit visa and submit the transit visa form.
Interview at the Embassy or U.S. Consulate to complete the application process Transit Visa U.S.:
During the interview, a consular officer may ask you different questions concerning the purposes of your travel. After the interview, the officer will determine whether you qualify to receive a visa and which visa category is appropriate according to the purpose of your tip.
After the interview, the consular officer will inform you if any further processing is necessary to complete the visa application. If the visa is approved, you will be informed how your passport with your transit visa will be returned to you.
This page can be found at: http://www.immigrationunitedstates.org/products/c-1-transit-visa.html
IMPORTANT LEGAL WARNING AND DISCLAIMER
This site does not give visas, the processing of the transit visa must be completed in person through an interview at an embassy or US consulate, but person must complete the application form online before going to the appointment. Information Packet with Instructions for Visa Application is an informative guide about the process and application, with instructions to apply for a visa. The cost of this guide does not include the fee to apply for the visa.
Information and Instructions about the C-1 Transit Visa included in this immigration guide:
- What is a C-1 Transit Visa?
- What documents should I afford to apply for a United States C1 Transit Visa?
- I am a resident from another country and need to travel to the United States. For how long can I stay inside the United States?
- For how long is a C-1 Transit Visa valid?
- How to apply for a Transit Visa? What form to submit when applying for a C-1 Visa?
- What is the biometrics and fingerprint requirement for a Transit Visa?
- How to make an appointment for an interview at the embassy or US consulate to process the visa?
- How to complete the application process Transit Visa
Transit Visa C-1 Application Related Forms
- Description C-1 Visa Transit US
- C-1 Transit Visa Application forms and instructions
- Visa Requirements for Transit C-1
- Benefits of Transit Visa C-1
- Disadvantages of Transit Visa C-1
- Eligibility Information for Transit Visa C-1
- Applying for a Transit Visa C-1
- Application Forms Instructions for Transit Visa
- Description of program Visa Waiver (Visa Waiver)
- C-1 Transit Visa application processing time
- National list of USCIS offices in the United States
- Contact information and list of U.S. embassies and consulates abroad
- Helpful immigration related information
- USCIS contact information and forms
Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with the government, we are a private publisher of information guides. This product only includes instructions, it does not include filing fees, or any other charges to submit your application.