Visas

Ukrainians in Latvia seeking travel to the U.S.:  See our Ukrainians in Latvia page.

The United States Embassy in Riga has resumed normal visa operations for visa applicants who are residents in the Embassy’s consular district of Latvia (holders of Latvian passports, Latvian residency permits, and Latvian long stay D visas).   

Nonimmigrant Visas

Due to a limited interviewing capacity the United States Embassy in Riga, Latvia is only able to provide a small number of nonimmigrant visa services to people who are not resident in Latvia. We are not able to serve non-resident applicants for exchange visitor, student and temporary work visas or consider group interview requests from non-resident visa applicants.  Please check https://lv.usembassy.gov/current-non-immigrant-visa-wait-times-and-availability-for-non-residents-of-latvia/for information on visa interview wait times for non-resident applicants.

Non-immigrant visa applicants who are residents of Latvia and renewing their visas and certain first time student and temporary work visa applicants are urged to follow the guidance on applying without an interview and NOT schedule a visa interview. Note: Application without an interview is only available to residents in the Embassy’s consular district of Latvia.

Emergency appointment requests by nonimmigrant visa applicants not resident in Latvia:

We are generally not able to consider emergency (expedited) appointment requests from non-resident visa applicants who are not living in Latvia. We have limited capacity to assist Ukrainian, Belarussian and Russian applicants who need to travel immediately. In this case, please follow the guidance at ustraveldocs.com or contact the call center at +371-6609-2000 for information on how to request an emergency appointment. These requests need be well justified and are reviewed on a case by case bases by the consular section chief.

Immigrant Visas

The United States Embassy in Riga is providing all immigrant visa services for applicants who are residents in the Embassy’s consular district of Latvia (holders of Latvian passports, Latvian residency permits, and Latvian long stay D visas). We have a limited capacity for non-resident interview appointments. If you are not a resident in Latvia and prefer that your interview appointment is transferred from another embassy or consulate to Riga, please send an e-mail to Askconsular-Riga@state.gov and briefly describe case specific circumstances that warrant your case transfer.  These requests need be well justified and are reviewed on a case by case bases by the consular section chief. While we are doing our best to accommodate these requests, for workload concerns, we are not able to approve them all.

See our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to determine which visa category might be appropriate for your purpose of travel to the United States.

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.

Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States.

(Note: U.S. citizens don’t need a U.S. visa for travel, but when planning travel abroad may need a visa issued by the embassy of the country they wish to visit.).

CONTACT CENTER

The Contact Center is operated under contract with the U.S. Department of State by Stanley Associates Inc. (CGI Federal).

  • Telephone in Latvia: +371-6609-2000, Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. local time, except holidays
  • Telephone in the United States: +1-703-520-2565, Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, except holidays
  • E-mail: support-latvia@ustraveldocs.com
  • Skype and online chat is accessible from the website: www.ustraveldocs.com

E-mail: askconsular-riga@state.gov (For case-specific visa inquiries only. Visa applicants should use above Contact Center assistance for routine visa processing questions.)

VISA INTERVIEWS (by appointments only)

The Department of State manages the visa process strictly but fairly in order to best protect the United States.  We are committed to the essential openness for which the United States has always been known.  Travel to the United States is welcomed and encouraged.

We promise to you, the visa applicant, that:

  • We will treat you with dignity and respect, even if we are unable to grant you a visa.
  • We will treat you as an individual and your case as unique.
  • We will remember that, to you, a visa interview may be a new or intimidating experience and that you may be nervous.
  • We will use the limited time available for the interview to get as full a picture as possible of your travel plans and intentions.
  • We will use our available resources to fairly assist all applicants to get appointments to allow travel in time for business, study, and other important obligations.
  • We will post detailed and accurate information on visa requirements and application procedures on every Embassy and Consulate website.
  • We will provide information on non-immigrant appointment waiting times at every Embassy and Consulate posted on http://travel.state.gov.
  • We will explain the reason for any visa denial to you.

Furthermore, if you are a:

  • Student, we will make every effort to ensure that you get an appointment and, if qualified, a visa in time to start classes.
  • Medical and humanitarian emergency traveler, we will expedite processing for those dealing with life threatening emergencies.
  • Business traveler, we will establish appropriate mechanisms to facilitate business travel and expedite cases of particular concern to American business.

At the same time, we expect you, the visa applicant, to:

  • Plan your travel and visa application as far in advance as possible.
  • Complete your application fully and accurately.
  • Be forthcoming about your purpose and plans.
  • Prepare for your interview by being able to clearly and concisely describe your intentions.