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Visas

Instructions for Visa Placement Agents: Johannesburg

March 2008 

To ensure efficient visa operations, please ensure that you and your clients’ applications meet all of the following requirements.  These requirements are mandatory.  Applicants without appointments or who submit applications that do not meet these requirements will not be admitted or interviewed.

  1. All appointments must be scheduled with the contract call center, 011-275-6300. Note that you will need one PIN number for every five applicants – i.e. if you are booking a group appointment for 20 people, you will need four PINs. When you phone the call center and ask for a group appointment, you should be transferred to either Zabeth or Hastings, who will be able to assist you further.
  2. All applications must arrive by courier or be dropped off at the Consulate no later than 14:00 at least FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS in advance of scheduled interviews. Applications that arrive later than 14:00 will be counted as arriving on the next business day. All placement agencies outside our Consular district may use local courier companies to drop off their applications. Our delivery address is U.S. Consulate General Johannesburg, Visa Section, 1 Sandton Drive, corner of Rivonia, Johannesburg.
  3. Applicants residing in Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Free State and Mpumalanga Provinces may apply at the Johannesburg Consulate General. Applicants residing in the Cape Provinces should apply in Cape Town and residents of Kwa-Zulu Natal should apply in Durban.
  4. Please provide with each packet a cover sheet reflecting the name of your agency and a list of the applicants being submitted as well as their group appointment date/time.
  5. Do not overbook. Please be sure to cancel any excess appointments in advance to allow others the opportunity for an appointment. If your packet includes 25 applications and your group appointment is for 30 people, the extra 5 appointments must be cancelled.
  6. If an applicant will miss his/her appointment, please let us know in advance. If an applicant fails to show up for an appointment without prior notice, we will return their applications to your offices by regular mail.
  7. Please regularly update your agency contact information by emailing ConsularJohannesburg@state.gov to ensure that you have the latest information regarding visa application procedures.
  8. Each application must contain the following documentation:
    1. A valid passport with at least 6 months validity. Applicants should bring any previous passports to their interview and be prepared to present them upon request.
    2. Applicants traveling on temporary passports must provide a second form of photo identification, preferably their S.A. National Identity Book.
    3. A DS-156 application form. The form must be completed and signed by the applicant. If a representative of your agency assists the applicant in completing the form in any way then he or she must also sign the application.
    4. All applications must include an original receipt from First National Bank showing proof of cash payment of the required application fee, currently the Rand equivalent of USD $131. The Consulate cannot make refunds so please ensure that the amount is correct and that the receipt is not lost.
    5. All applications for males between the ages of 16 and 45 must include a supplemental DS-157 form.
    6. All applications must include one (1) 50 x 50mm color photograph of the applicant against a white background. No other size photos or backgrounds are acceptable.
    7. Any applicants who have had prior extensions or changes of status while in the US must bring original documentation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS/USCIS) in order to demonstrate proper changes of status.
    8. H2 VISAS: All H2 applications must include a legible copy of the original petition. The Consulate must also be able to verify the original petition, whether it has been submitted to our office or to another post. If the original petition is with Durban or Cape Town, please indicate this on the photocopy. The photocopy is also necessary should we need to locate the petition approval online our petition directory.
    9. H2 VISAS: Any applicant who is a substitution for a name listed on the petition must include an original, signed letter from the petitioner indicating the change.
    10. J1 VISAS: All J1 applications must include the original DS-2019 form.
    11. Trainee/Intern VISAS: All J1 trainee/intern applications must include a DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan.
    12. J1 & F1 VISAS: All J1 and F1 applications must include a DS-158 form.
    13. 1 & F1 VISAS: All J1 and F1 applications must include proof of SEVIS fee payment.
    14. If available, applicants should include documentation demonstrating their intent to return to the Republic of South Africa. This information will be considered part of the application and should be true and correct to the best of the applicant’s knowledge.
  9. H2, F-1 and M-1 visas: A USD $85 reciprocity fee is applicable to all RSA passport holders for H2, F-1 and M-1 visas. Please ensure that applicants are prepared to pay the Rand equivalent of USD $85 as well as R60 for the DHL passport return service, should their visa be approved.