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An official website of the United States government

U.S. Visa Services
Visit the United States

Do I need to apply for a visa?

Some international travelers are eligible to enter the United States without a visa. Find out more about the Visa Waiver Program.

How do I apply for a Visa?

Non-immigrant visas

The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm processes the full range of visa categories. Please use our visa wizard to see what visa category is appropriate for your purpose of travel.

Depending on your category of visa, you may qualify to apply for or renew your visa by mail, without an interview.

Waiver of interview requirement for some first-time students and exchange visitors

We have waived the interview requirement for some first-time students and certain exchange visitors. We are able to receive applications by mail for F1, F2, M1 students and J1 and J2 academic exchange visitors, in the student, professor, research scholar, short-term scholar, and specialist category. No other categories of exchange visitors may benefit from this change and no other categories of J visa applications will be approved.
To take advantage of waiver of interview, you must meet all the program requirements for your visa class.

Waiver of interview requirement for some first-time employment visa applicants

We have waived the interview requirement for some first-time employment visa applicants. We are able to receive applications by mail for certain first-time employment-based visa applicants who have a petition approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including applications in the H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visa categories. Blanket L applications do not qualify for this new program and will require an interview.
To take advantage of the waiver for the interview requirement, you must meet all the program requirements for your visa class.

Not Eligible to Apply by Mail?

If you are not eligible for a mail-in application, please follow the steps on the ustraveldocs.com page to complete the online application and schedule an in-person interview.

Renew by Mail

Some visa applicants may qualify to have their interview waived and renew their visas by mail if they are applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification that expired within the last 48 months. Please find the information about renewing your visa by mail on our scheduling website page: Apply for a U.S. Visa/Renew My Visa. We do not accept applications dropped off in person.

Foreign Government Officials, Diplomats, or members of the Swedish Armed Forces 

If you are applying as a foreign government official, diplomat, please follow the instructions on our official travel pages.

Some things to note:
  • Do not buy an airline ticket until you have your visa and passport back.
  • We will need to keep your passport for several weeks to process the visa. If you have upcoming travel, please do not mail your passport to us until after you have returned from your travel and can leave your passport with us for several weeks.
  • It is not possible to drop off or pick up your passport at the U.S. Embassy.
  • Proof of COVID vaccination is required for entry into the United States. See the CDC website for more details.
  • If you are not eligible for mail-in renewal, please follow the steps here to complete the online application and schedule an in-person interview.

Immigrant visas

Immigrant visas to the United States are processed for citizens and residents of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm.

To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program.  Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process, on usvisas.state.gov to begin applying for an immigrant visa.

Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and instructions.

Additional information:

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