Non-Immigrant Visas

Out of District Applications

Nonimmigrant visa applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for visas in their country of permanent residence, as applying for the nonimmigrant visa in a third country may result in considerable delay before a visa may be approved.

Applicants who are physically present in Panama may apply for a United States nonimmigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, in the same manner as Panamanian citizens and foreign citizens with residence in Panama, including the requirement to make a prior appointment for an in-person interview before a consular officer. (Visa applicants should see the separate information sheets, which list the requirements to apply for a nonimmigrant visa.) However, since the requirements for a U.S. visa are strict, visa applicants who travel to Panama to apply for a nonimmigrant visa should be prepared that their visa application might not be approved. In addition, each visa applicant, including children, must be physically present in Panama to apply for a visa.

Applicants for first-time temporary worker visas (H, L, Q, etc.) who are not permanent residents of Panama are required to arrange for the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Immigration Services (BCIS) to send the complete approved I-129 petition to the U.S. embassy in Panama City. In addition, many applications require additional outside investigation and checks, which can delay approval of a visa by several weeks to a month, or more.