Visa FAQs

You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended program’s return date. Use the Department of State Passport Wizard to learn how to apply for a new passport. If you are uncertain if your passport if valid for travel, please contact AFS.

If you hold a foreign passport and a visa or residence permit/green card to reside in the US, the process for going abroad may be different for you. AFS is committed to doing what we can to provide opportunities to citizens of all nations and are often able to accommodate non-US citizens. Please contact AFS as soon as possible to find out if an AFS program is possible.

Passport photos can be used for both a passport and visa in many cases and must meet U.S. State Department requirements. Photographs can be taken at many post offices or at stores like Walgreens, Fed Ex/Kinkos, Sears, etc, and must be included in the passport or visa application per the application requirements.

The Consular Section of a country’s Embassy works specifically with issues related to travel into and out of that country. Most Embassies have a “Consular Services” office in Washington DC, along with several Consulate General or Vice Honorary Consulate offices around the U.S. covering different regions. Some visa applications may require an in-person visit to the regional office that has jurisdiction in your area.

Some governments have outsourced much of its visa processing operations to a third-party agency named VFS Global. To apply for your visa these countries require that you submit a visa application online and attend an in-person appointment/interview at a VFS Center close to your home.

Some visa applications may require an in-person visit to the regional office that has jurisdiction in your area. In some cases, there might not be an office available in your immediate community and you will be required to travel to a different state for the in-person appointment. Be prepare to fly or drive long distances if the circumstances require.

A list of required documents will be sent to you by your AFS USA Visa Team. You will also need to contact your consulate for a finalized list of requirements.

A notarization is the act of a licensed notary public witnessing someone signing a document. The notary adds a signature, stamp or seal, and statement as part of the evidence that they have verified the identity of the person signing a document. A notarization must be done in-person before the licensed notary public. If a document needs further certifications (like the stamp of a county clerk, an Apostille, or State Authentication), usually a notary stamp will be required first. Common places notaries may be found are in banks, attorney’s offices, and more.

The highest level of certification the Federal Dept of State or a State Dept of State grant for a document. Apostilles are issued by the Federal Government or the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the document was certified or notarized. Your document must be apostilled by the state that it was issued in or by the Federal Government if it was Federally issued (i.e. a FBI Background Check). The process for obtaining an Apostille varies by state. An Apostille (or, in some cases, a State Authentication) may or may not be needed for your visa process. Find more information on the Apostille process in your state.

Your visa process may require the official translation of a document into your destination country’s official language. The translator must be capable of translating the document in its entirety and must include a signed, notarized “Certificate of Accuracy” proving that their translation is accurate and complete.

We recommend working with a certified translator to ensure the process goes more smoothly – see below for companies with which past AFSers have worked. If you do not use one of these companies or something similar, your translator must be completely fluent (foreign governments will reject translations with lots of errors!) and can obtain a Certificate of Accuracy simply by searching for the term online and finding examples.

Keep in mind that, if you need an Apostille for your translation of the document, it must be issued by the state in which the translation was notarized, regardless of where the original document was issued or apostilled.

Common translation services AFSers have used in the past are below.  Note that AFS does not endorse or recommend any particular service.

• Interlingua (California)
• New World Language Services (California)
• Bridge LinguaTec (Colorado)
• Language Solutions (Missouri)
• Cincilingua, Inc. (Ohio)
• University of Massachusetts – Amherst Translation Center (Massachusetts)
• All Language Translations (New York)
• 1-800-Translate (New York)
• Ultra Translate

Translators can also be found at universities, courts or police departments. School transcripts may be translated by your school or school board.

Many consulates/ foreign governments require proof that the legal parents have granted permission for their minor child to travel abroad without them. This is a seperate requirement from AFS’s application process. Generally, anyone with custody must sign the Parental Consent Form (PCF) and have it notarized.  There are a few special cases:

• If you are over 18: If you turn 18 prior to one month before departure, you will likely only need to submit a PCF if you’re going to Argentina, Japan and Chile (these countries’ legal age is 21).
• If your parents are divorced: If both parents have visitation rights, they both need to sign. Two separate PCFs can be notarized and submitted. If one parent does not have visitation rights, a copy of the divorce papers can be submitted and only the custodial parent needs to sign. If you are not sure how your situation should be handled, contact AFS-USA as soon as possible.
• If one parent has a different last name than you: Consulates may require documentation explaining why one parent has a different last name. These could include a copy of a divorce decree, this student’s birth certificate, a copy of a marriage license, or adoption papers. Regardless of the documentation selected, it must establish that the signer is the natural parent of the child.
• If you live in a different city than a parent: You may have difficulty having all of the documents signed, notarized, or apostilled as necessary. If a parent lives in a different state than you, that parent may need to follow their state’s rules for obtaining vital records or notarizing and apostilling documents.
• If you live with a stepparent: Unless they are legal guardians through adoption or custody agreement, stepparents must not sign the PCF. If they are legal guardians, documentation must be included.
• If one parent is estranged: A recent notarized affidavit from a lawyer should be submitted to the effect that the absent parent has been out of touch for a significant period of time. If this situation applied to you, please contact AFS-USA as soon as possible as the visa process may be more complicated.
• If one parent is deceased: The surviving parent must sign the PCF and attach a photocopy of the death certificate.
• If both of your parents are deceased: Legal guardian(s) must sign the PCF and attach proof of Legal Guardianship. A copy of the death certificate may also be required.

Unfortunately, these scenarios do happen. Since Consular Officials issue visas, AFS has no control over the process itself. When these situations occur and aren’t the fault of the student, (i.e. applying for a visa late or taking trips out of the country prior to the start of a program) we will reschedule the international flight once the visa has been granted.

If you are denied a visa, we will do everything possible to come up with a solution. Since you will not be able to travel before you have secured your visa, it is very important that you do purchase a refundable and changeable domestic ticket to your gateway departure city.

***PLEASE NOTE: If your departure has to be delayed due to your visa, you will be responsible for changing your domestic ticket and for any penalties the airline charges. If you do not have your visa 5 business days ahead of your scheduled departure, you will need to reschedule your domestic and international flights.

Just remember: AFS is here to help! Always feel free to contact us with any questions.

You will have to pay a visa fee and any other expenses as instructed by the Embassy/Consulate. Visa fees vary by country. You will need to verify the amount with your consulate. In addition to the visa fee, you will need to budget funds for legalizing documents and the cost of applying in-person at the consulate (airfare, hotel, etc.) if applicable. *Fees and requirements are determined by immigration authorities and are subject to change at any time.

No, your program fee does not cover any of the costs related to obtaining your passport or visa. In some cases, the visa costs are added to your program fee and charged to you up front.

You generally should not plan any excursions outside of the United States 2 months prior to your program. If you travel before the start of your program, you will run the risk of not being able to depart for your program on time.