Visa Process
Overseas, foreign service officers and US consular posts issue all visas; you must obtain your first visa from a consular officer outside the US. These consuls work for the Department of State, an agency of the federal government that controls foreign affairs. Each US consular post determines its own filing procedures, and not all consular [...]
Visas
A visa usually stamped in a passport permits the bearer to apply for entry into a country. The US requires visas, unless a country qualifies for a visa waiver. Most European countries, and Japan, qualify for visa waivers. A visa waiver eliminates the visa requirement for business and pleasure trips under 90 days in duration. [...]