Embassy of the United States Chisinau, Moldova

General Info

Moldovan citizens who want to visit the United States temporarily must apply for a non-immigrant visa. There are a wide variety of reasons for a non-immigrant visa, including tourism, business, medical treatment, and certain types of temporary work. The type of visa needed is defined by immigration law, and relates to the principal purpose of your travel. The Consular Officer will decide what kind of visa you need, when you apply. For information on applying for a visa, please see the page Application Process at http://moldova.usembassy.gov/application-process.html.

Anyone who applies for a visa must understand that holding a visa does not guarantee entrance into the United States. Although you were issued a visa, only the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has the authority to allow you into the United States and to determine the length of your visit. At the port of entry, a CBP official must validate your Record of Arrival - Departure (Form I-94) which tells you how long you may stay.

Depending on the type of visa, you may be required to bring additional documents to the visa interview. Please select the visa type (from the menu at left) for additional requirements.

Processing Time

Most applicants receive their visas the day after their interviews. However, some cases may require additional processing, which could result in a delay of up to six weeks or more.  Please note that once an application is submitted processing cannot be expedited. We urge you not to make any travel plans until your visa is issued.

Appointment Wait Time

Wait times for a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment may differ greatly depending on the time of the year. Please apply up to 2 months before your planned trip. There are many factors that may influence the processing of individual visa cases (such as additional administrative processing or incomplete applications). You should plan well in advance your proposed travel and apply early for a visa. For more about "visa wait times", see http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/wait_4638.html. If you require an expedited appointment, please see the Application Process at http://moldova.usembassy.gov/application-process.html. 

Visa Issuance

No assurance regarding the issuance of non-immigrant visas can be given in advance. Final travel plans or the purchase of non-refundable air tickets should not be made until you have been approved and have received your visa.

U.S. Port of Entry

Issuance of a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. Immigration inspectors have authority to deny admission. U.S. immigration regulations permit students beginning a new program to enter the U.S. no more than 30 days before their program starts. Also, the immigration inspector, not the consular officer, determines the period for which the bearer of a visa is authorized to remain in the United States.

Visa Refusals

For more information on visa refusals, please see http://moldova.usembassy.gov/refusals.html.

Why is there a fee?
 
The United States Congress requires American embassies and consulates to collect a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fee for each application processed. These fees are used to pay for security improvements to the United States visa and entry control system.

Are You Coming to the United States Temporarily to Work or Study?

If so, we want to make sure that you have legal rights. If you encounter any problems or if you experience a violation of your rights, you can get help. Please follow this link http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/Pamphlet-Order.pdf (PDF 253KB) to download our new brochure about your legal rights and resources available to you while you are in the United States.