I Media
Overview
Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Media (I) visas are for representatives of the foreign media, including members of the press, radio, film, and print industries, traveling temporarily to the United States to work in their profession engaged in informational or educational media activities, essential to the foreign media function. Activities in the United States while on a media (I) visa must be for a media organization having its home office in a foreign country. Activities in the United States must be informational in nature and generally associated with the news gathering process and reporting on current events.
Travel purposes which require a Media (I) Visa – Examples:
- An employee of foreign information media or employee of an independent production company having a credential issued by a professional journalistic association engaged in filming a news event or documentary.
- A member of the media engaged in the production or distribution of film, if the material being filmed will be used to disseminate information, news, or is educational in nature. The primary source and distribution of funding must be outside the United States.
- A journalist working under contract with a credential issued by a professional journalistic organization, if working on a product to disseminate information or news that is not primarily intended for commercial entertainment or advertising.
- A foreign journalist working for an overseas branch office or subsidiary of a U.S. network, newspaper, or other media outlet, if traveling to the United States to report on U.S. events solely for a foreign audience.
- An accredited representative of a tourist bureau, controlled, operated, or subsidized in whole or in part by a foreign government, who engages primarily in disseminating factual tourist information about that country, and who is not entitled to receive an A-2 visa as a foreign government official or employee.
- An employee of an organization that distributes technical industrial information who will work in the U.S. office of that organization.
Working Media Cannot Travel on the Visa Waiver Program or with Visitor Visas
Representatives of the foreign media who will work in their profession as media or journalists while in the United States cannot travel on the Visa Waiver Program or on visitor (B) visas.
When Can a Visitor Visa Be Used – Examples:
- Attend a conference or meeting as a participant, as long as you will not report about the conference or meeting while in the United States or upon return to your home country.
- Guest speak, lecture, or engage in an academic activity for which you will receive an honorarium from an institution of higher education, a related or affiliated nonprofit entity, a nonprofit research organization, or a governmental research organization. The speaking activity must not last longer than 9 days at a single institution, and you must not have received payment from more than 5 institutions or organizations for such activities in the last 6 months.
- Take a vacation, as long as you will not be working or reporting during your trip.
- Citizens of Visa Waiver Program participating countries may be able to travel for the above purposes (as examples), on the Visa Waiver Program instead of a visitor (B) visa.
Some travel purposes require a temporary worker visa, not a media (I) visa
While certain activities clearly qualify for the media visa, since they are informational and news gathering, others require a temporary worker petition-based type visa, such as the H, O, or P visa. Select Temporary Worker to go to the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS website to learn about temporary worker requirements and procedures for filing the petition, which must be approved by USCIS, prior to applying for the visa.
How to Apply
There are several steps to apply for a visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary at the U.S. embassy or consulate where you apply. Please consult the instructions available on the embassy or consulate websitewhere you will apply.
Complete the Online Visa Application
- Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 – Learn more about completing the DS-160. You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.
- Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. Your photo must be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.
Schedule an Interview
While interviews are generally not required for applicants of certain ages outlined below, consular officers have the discretion to require an interview of any applicant, regardless of age.
You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview, generally, at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where you live. While you may be able to schedule your interview at any U.S. embassy or consulate, be aware that it may be difficult to qualify for a visa outside of your place of permanent residence.
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Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa early. Review the interview wait timefor the location where you will apply.
Prepare for Your Interview
- Fees - Pay the non-refundable visa application fee, if you are required to pay it before your interview. For current fees for Department of State government services select Fees. When your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance reciprocity fee, if applicable to your nationality. Please review the Visa Reciprocity Tables to find out if you must pay a visa issuance fee.
- Review the instructions available on the website of the embassy or consulatewhere you will apply to learn more about fee payment.
Gather Required Documentation
Gather and prepare the following required documents before your visa interview:
- Passport valid for travel to the U.S. - Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the U.S. (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person who needs a visa must submit a separate application.
- Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
- Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview
- Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.
Additional Documentation May Be Required
Review the instructions for how to apply for a visa on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply. Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified.
As examples:
- A journalist working under contract or free lance to a foreign media organization will need to present a valid contract of employment.
- An employee of an independent production company, with a few exceptions, will need to present a credential issued by a professional journalistic association.
Attend Your Visa Interview
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.
Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. They are usually taken during your interview, but this varies based on location.
After your visa interview, your application may require further administrative processing. You will be informed by the consular officer if further processing is necessary for your application.
When the visa is approved, you may pay a visa issuance fee if applicable to your nationality, and will be informed how your passport with visa will be returned to you. Review the visa processing time, to learn how soon your passport with visa will generally be ready for pick-up or delivery by the courier.
Additional Information
- We cannot guarantee that you will be issued a visa. Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa.
- You may travel to the United States on a media (I) visa to work in your profession as a foreign media representative and as part of the trip, take a vacation while in the United States.
- For information about employment and study, review Representative of Foreign Media and Employment Authorization on the USCIS website.
- Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid. If you have a valid visa in your expired passport, do not remove it from your expired passport. You may use your valid visa in your expired passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.
Spouse and Children
Spouses and/or children under the age of 21 who wish to accompany or join the principal media visa holder in the U.S. for the duration of his/her stay require media visas. If the spouse and/or children apply for visas at a later date, a copy of the principal visa holder's media visa must be presented with the application. Spouses and/or children who do not intend to reside in the United States with the principal visa holder, but visit for vacations only, may be eligible to apply for visitor (B-2) visas, or if qualified, travel without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. For information about work or study in the U.S. review Representatives of Foreign Media on the USCIS website.
Visa Denial and Ineligibility
Review Visa Denials for detailed information about visa ineligibilities. denials, and waivers.
I was refused a visa, under section 214(b). May I reapply?
Yes, if you feel circumstances have changed regarding your application. ReviewVisa Denials to learn more.
Misrepresentation or Fraud
Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud, may result in the permanent refusal of a visa or denial of entry into the United States. Review Ineligibilities and Waivers: Laws.
Entering the U.S. - Port of Entry
A visa allows a foreign citizen coming from abroad, to travel to the United States port of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into 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. If you are allowed to enter the U.S., the CBP official will determine the length of your visit.
| Notice: New Electronic I-94 Process - A new electronic I-94 process at air and sea ports of entry was fully implemented by May 25, 2013. Under the new CBP process, a CBP officer will provide each admitted nonimmigrant traveler with an admission stamp on their passport. CBP will no longer issue a paper Form I-94 upon entry to the U.S., with some exceptions. Learn more on the CBP website. |
If you are issued a paper Form I-94, this will document your authorized stay and is the official record of your permission to be in the U.S. It is very important to keep inside your passport. In advance of travel, prospective travelers should review important information about Admissions/Entry requirements, as well as information related to restrictions about bringing food, agricultural products or other restricted/prohibited goods explained on the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website.
How Do I Extend My Stay?
- Visitors who wish to stay beyond the date indicated on their admission stamp or paper Form I-94 are required to have approval by USCIS. See Extend Your Stay on the USCIS website.
- You must depart the United States on or before the date indicated on your admission stamp or paper Form I-94, unless your request to extend your stay is approved by USCIS.
- Failure to depart the United States on time will result in you being out of status, can void your visa, and may make you ineligible for visas you may apply for in the future. Review Visa Denials, Ineligibilities and Waivers: Laws, and section222(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to learn more.
- A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States, but allows a foreign citizen coming from abroad, to travel to the United States port of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. 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. If you are allowed to enter the U.S., the CBP official will determine the length of your visit.
| Notice: New Electronic I-94 Process - A new electronic I-94 process at air and sea ports of entry was fully implemented by May 25, 2013. Under the new CBP process, a CBP officer will provide each admitted nonimmigrant traveler with an admission stamp on their passport. CBP will no longer issue a paper Form I-94 upon entry to the U.S., with some exceptions. Learn more on the CBP website. |
- On the admission stamp or paper Form I-94, the U.S. immigration inspector records either a date or "D/S" (duration of status). If your admission stamp or paper Form I-94 contains a specific date, then that is the date by which you must leave the United States. If you are issued a paper Form I-94, this will document your authorized stay and is the official record of your permission to be in the U.S. It is very important to keep inside your passport. Review information about Admission on the CBP Website. Also, see Duration of Stay.
If you failed to turn in your paper Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, seeDepartment of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website for more information. If you did not receive a paper Form I-94 and your record was created electronically, CBP will record your departure using manifest information obtained from the air or sea carrier.
How Do I Change My Status?
Some nonimmigrant visa holders, while present in the U.S., are able to file a request which must be approved by USCIS to change to another nonimmigrant category. See Change My Nonimmigrant Status on the USCIS website.
Important Note: Filing a request with USCIS for approval of change of status before your authorized stay expires, while you remain in the U.S., does not by itself require the visa holder to apply for a new visa. However, if you cannot remain in the U.S. while USCIS processes your change of status request, you will need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
