Embassy of the United States La Paz, Bolivia

• Business and Tourism(B1/B2)
• Transit and Crew Visas (C-1 / C1/D)
• Diplomatic and Official Visas (A/G)
• Information for Visas A-3, G-5 Personal or domestic servants
• Study or Training Visas (F/M)
• Intra Company Transfer Visa (L)
• Exchange Program Visas (J-1)
• Treaty Trader and Investor Visas (E1/E2)
• Treaty Trading Countries
• Domestic Employee Visas (B1)
• Information Media Visas (I)
• Religious Workers Visas(R)
• Work Visas (H, O, P)

Diplomatic and Official Visas

These visa categories are designed for accredited members of diplomatic missions, employees of international organizations such as the United Nations or the Organization of American States, their family members and domestic employees.

Diplomats:  To qualify for an A visa, the individual concerned must be traveling to the United States on behalf of his or her national government to engage solely in official activities for that government. The fact that there may be government interest or control in a given organization is not in itself the defining factor in determining whether or not the applicant qualifies for an A visa; the particular duties or services to be performed must also be of an inherently governmental character or nature. Local government officials representing their state, province, borough, or other local political entity do not qualify for "A" visa status; they require B-1/B-2 visas
Qualified A visa applicants traveling to the United States for assignments of fewer than 90 days will be issued visas annotated "TDY" (temporary duty).

Important Note: Foreign officials who intend to travel to the United States on official business must obtain an "A" visa prior to their entry. They cannot travel on tourists visas, or visa free under the Visa Waiver Program.

Government officials traveling to the United States to perform non-governmental functions or traveling as tourists require a B visa, or if qualified, travel visa free; they do not qualify for diplomatic visas.

International Organizations:  To qualify for a G visa the individual concerned must be entering the United States in pursuance of official duties. Members of a permanent mission of a recognized government to an international organization are eligible for G-1 visas; representatives of a recognized government traveling to the United States temporarily to attend meetings of a designated international organization are eligible for G-2 visas and representatives of non-recognized or non-member governments are eligible for G-3 visas. G-4 visas are issued to individuals who are proceeding to the United States to take up an appointment at a designated international organization, including the United Nations.

Immediate family members are defined as the spouse and unmarried sons and daughters of any age who are members of the household. The spouse and unmarried children of the principal applicant are eligible to apply for visas as dependents (although de facto marriages are not accepted for U.S. visa purposes). Partners who are recognized as the principal alien's dependant by the sending government, while not eligible for derivative A visas, may apply for B-1/B-2 visas, if otherwise qualified. B-1/B-2 visa applicants are required to pay visa application and reciprocal issuance fees, if applicable.

Each dependent must complete a separate application, and submit separate processing and other visa fees.

Visa processing and issuance fees: Diplomatic passport holders are exempt from paying visa fees for all types of visas. Official passport holders are not charged for official visas, but are required to pay visa application and reciprocal issuance fees, if applicable, for all non-official visas.

*An additional reciprocity fee may apply based on nationality.

Information for Visas A-3, G-5

Personal or domestic servants who are accompanying or following to join an employer who is a foreign diplomat or official are eligible for visas A-3, G-5

How to schedule an appointment

Inquiries and appointment scheduling for the above visas are available by telephone only. There is a charge of Bs.110.00 for this service, payable at any participating branch of DHL in Bolivia. We recommend that you schedule your appointment several weeks in advance of any planned travel.

You will receive a Personal Identification Number (PIN), which will allow you to schedule up to 5 immediate family members living at the same address. The PIN will allow 8 minutes of access to the service. You will be able to access the service immediately after obtaining the PIN to call the service at 800-100-449 from anywhere in Bolivia, using a touch-tone telephone. The visa information and appointment service is available Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, Bolivian local time, excluding Bolivian holidays.

Medical Treatment

There is no special visa for medical treatment although Consular Officers will give nonimmigrant visa applicants needing medical treatment every consideration possible under the law.

Domestic Employees

Which employers qualify to take an alien domestic to the U. S. in non-immigrant status to work for them during a temporary stay?

• U.S. Citizens who reside permanently abroad and are visiting the U.S. temporarily, or who habitually reside abroad in foreign service or other government agencies  assigned to the U.S. temporarily and returning for a stay of no more than four years.
• Non-immigrant aliens (bearers of B, E, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, or Q visas) who apply for temporary admission to the United States.

Legal Permanent Residents Of The United States (“Green Card” Holders) Are Not Entitled To Bring To Nor Employ Non-Immigrant Alien Domestic Employees In The U.S.

How does the domestic qualify for this special non-immigrant visa?

Each domestic or personnel employee applying for a non-immigrant visa must meet the following conditions:

1. The employee has a residence abroad which he or she has no intention of abandoning;
2. The employee has been employed abroad by the employer as a personal or domestic employee, for at least one year (6 months for employees of American citizens) prior to the date of the employer’s admission to the United States; OR the employer can demonstrate that he or she has regularly employed personal or domestic employees for several years preceding the employee’s application for a B-1 visa.
3. The employer and the employee have signed an employment contract which guarantees: payment of the minimum or prevailing wages, whichever is greater; free room and board; that the employer will be the only provider of employment to the employee; and that the employer will pay the employee’s initial travel expenses to the United States, and subsequently to the employer’s onward assignment, or to the employee’s country of normal residence at the termination of the assignment.

How to determine prevailing wage and other employment requirements?

For information regarding prevailing wages in the United States, you can log on to http://www.flcdatacenter.com/ and go through the OES SEARCH WIZARD.  Choose the state(s) where you will be located, and continue the search by choosing the kind of job.  The following codes are the most used: 37-2012 Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners; 39-9011 Child Care Workers; 39-9021 Personal & Home Care Aides.

In addition to including the correct wage in the contract, employers are expected to understand and comply with all local employment laws that are in effect in any city/state they might visit (for example, some city/states require the payment of overtime when employees work more than 40 hours/week).  To learn what these requirements are, employers should contact the Department of Labor using the information available at http://www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/minwage.htm 

What else is required if a visa is issued?

If a visa is issued, the employer is also responsible for obtaining work authorization for the employee upon his/her arrival in the U.S.  Specifically, the employer must ensure that the employee applies for and receives an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Service Center with jurisdiction over where the employee will be working in the U.S.  This process requires the completion of DHS Form I-765 and the payment of additional fees to DHS.  Information on this process can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis under “Employment Authorization.”

NOTE: Consular officers will generally not issue a new B-1 domestic employee visa to any employer or employee who has failed to obtain an EAD (see above) or otherwise comply with the requirements for a B-1 domestic employee visa, including ensuring that the domestic employee departs the U.S. in a timely fashion.  Should a domestic employee abandon an employer in the U.S., the employer must report this immediately to Department of Homeland Security and to the Embassy where the visa was issued in order to avoid further consequences to the employer.

Review the Nonimmigrant Rights, Protections and Resources pamphlet, Online version  (PDF 252kb) or Printer double-sided version. (PDF 291kb)