General Information

Visa Web and Live Telephone Service

WEB SERVICE: 

Notice to Visa Applicants Concerning Visa Appointments There have been incidents where travel agencies or appointment-service agencies guarantee earlier appointments and charge expedited appointment fees to visa applicants.  Such practices have in no case been endorsed by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.  We ask applicants to be cautious of such illegitimate practices, and to be advised that if your appointment was scheduled illegitimately you may be subject to disadvantage.

WEB SERVICE:  www.us-visaservices.com, available 24-hours per day, seven days per week, from anywhere in the world.

Service:  $11.20.  Applicants obtain visa information, including a list of required application materials for each NIV classification, and self-schedule an appointment for a specific date and time for up to five immediate family members up to 3 months ahead, as many hits as needed for same applicant until 2 days before appointment, only two cancellations allowed.
 

LIVE TELEPHONE SERVICE: 

003-08-131-420 within Korea, or 866-222-1107 within the U.S. open  Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM (Korean standard time), and closed on U.S. and Korean holidays and weekends.

Basic service:  $19.00.  Live operator gives scripted visa information and schedules appointments for up to five immediate family members.  Two telephone calls within three months or until two business days before the scheduled appointment.  Upgrade to premium service costs additional $9.00 for two more telephone calls.

Premium service:  $28.00.  Live operator gives scripted visa information and schedules appointments for up to five immediate family members.  In addition, live operator fills out Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) Application (DS-156) with the applicant.  The applicant’s DS-156 will be sent to the applicant via mail or e-mail.  The applicant must sign and complete the DS-156, complete a DS-157 and come for appointment with all the required application materials fully prepared.  Students and exchange visitors must also fill out a DS-158, which is available for download on www.usembassy.state.gov/seoul.  Two telephone calls within three months or until two business days before the appointment.

WEB SERVICE & LIVE TELEPHONE SERVICE:

Expedited visitor (B1/B2) appointments for Civil Servants who hold regular, official and diplomatic passports:  Civil Servants who have worked for more than one year for Central Government Ministries and Provincial Government Offices listed on our website at http://seoul.usembassy.gov/civil_servant.html and their immediate family members (children under 21 years of age and spouse), who wish to apply for visitor (B1/B2) visa for short-term business or pleasure may schedule an appointment online at www.us-visaservices.com or by calling 003-08-131-420 or 866-222-1107.  The appointment will be valid for 30 days from the set interview date.

Applicants between 55-79 years old and spouse, and applicants seeking to revalidate a B1/B2 visa that expired less than 1 year ago, may schedule an appointment online at www.us-visaservices.com or by calling 003-08-131-420 from within Korea or 866-222-1107 from within the United States.  The appointment will be valid for 30 days from the set interview date.

Who can I contact if I'm having problems using the web service or the telephone service?

If you are having difficulty using the web service or the toll number or inquiries concerning your PIN, please e-mail Teletech Government Solutions directly at southkorea@us-visaservices.com. They will reply to your e-mail within 48 hours.  If your inquiry is more urgent, please call their help desk at 003-08-131-657 (M-F, 8:30-5:00, except U.S. and Korean holidays).  Please do not call the U.S. Embassy with such inquiries.

I need to travel to the U.S. urgently.  Is there any way I can get an expedited appointment?

Applicants wishing to request an expedited appointment should send a detailed to the following address:

For nonimmigrant visa (NIV) inquires, excluding E, H, L, O, P, Q visa inquires, please e-mail us at : seoulniv@state.gov.
For E, H, L, O, P, Q visa inquires, please e-mail us at : seoulgoldteam@state.gov.

Applicants should attempt to make an appointment online at www.us-visaservices.com or by calling 003-08-131-420 within Korea or 866-222-1107 within the U.S.(M-F, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM, except Korean and U.S. holidays) before contacting us.  Every case will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in light of the merits of the situation, the timing involved and our workload.  We cannot guarantee that every request will be granted and an expedited appointment in no way guarantees issuance or same-day processing.  Please be sure to include the PIN you purchased, all relevant contact information and an invitation letter from the U.S. outlining your itinerary.  We encourage applicants to apply early.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please go to USA VISA Information Services at http://www.us-visaservices.com. USA VISA Information Services is available 24 hours a day, and can be accessed from both inside and outside of Korea.

For nonimmigrant visa (NIV) inquiries (excluding E, H, L, O, P, Q visa inquiries), please e-mail us at: seoulniv@state.gov. For E, H, L, O, P, Q visa inquiries, please e-mail us at: seoulgoldteam@state.gov.

The applicant, not the U.S. Government, assumes full responsibility for all documents and materials submitted in connection with any consular or visa matter, and for qualifying for the required visa or travel document in time to meet the applicant's needs.

This is an official U.S. Government source of information on the WWW. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents.

Updated July 31, 2008