Asylum (Refugee status) in the United States:
- Latvia has created an office to assist Ukrainian nationals fleeing Ukraine. See Latvian government assistance to Ukrainians.
- The U.S. Embassy in Latvia does not process applications for refugee or asylum status in the United States.
- Please go to the website below for more information about seeking refugee or asylum status: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/refugees
- You may visit the website below for questions about Humanitarian Parole into the United States:
https://www.uscis.gov/forms/explore-my-options/humanitarian-parole
Pending Immigrant Visa Applicants:
You may have a pending Immigrant Visa application based on:
- Immediately family in the United States who have filed a petition for you
- A U.S.-based employer who has filed a petition for you
- Your selection in the Diversity Visa program
The U.S. Government will try to expedite those cases that are ready for immediate processing. The U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany has been designated to process Immigrant Visa cases that had been scheduled at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv before its closure. If you are currently in Latvia and wish to have your case transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Riga, please contact the U.S. Embassy in Riga. If you are an American Citizen who has not yet filed a petition for your spouse, child, or parent, but wish to do so, please contact the U.S. embassy in the country where you are physically present with your family to inquire regarding possible local filing of your petition.
Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants:
This category is for short-term trips to the United States such as for study, business, or family visits.
- The U.S. Embassy in Riga is accepting visa appointment requests mainly from Latvian citizens and residents (permanent and temporary) and have very limited number of appointments available for non residents, please follow the guidance at ustraveldocs.com or contact the call center at +371-6609-2000.
- If you have already paid the visa application fee at another U.S. Embassy such as in Kyiv: U.S. visa fees paid to apply in a specific country cannot be transferred to another country. You would need to pay the fee again.