To promote global journalism, the US government has created an I visa intended to support media and news spread. This visa is issued for those that are employed in the information, media or journalism sector and their major purpose of travel is to complete a work-related assignment.
I Visa – Description
As mentioned above, the I Visa used for temporary travels is designed for journalists and media workers who travel to the US for work-related purposes. I Visa holder’s aim of travel is to actively engage in the collection of information (about current events in America) and creation of article that will spread the news.
The condition of this visa is that the media company is based outside of the US, hence the company must be foreign. Visa cannot be granted if an individual is travelling to work for a US company.
As most media-related positions are eligible for an I visa, a few requirements must be first met before applying:
- a person has to be employed in an independent production company with journal credentials. Their role is to film and describe events related to current news.
- a person is in charge of the production or distribution of a film associated with news or education. The film must be sponsored by a company outside of the US.
- Employee with a contract from a foreign journalist/media firm. Journalists are in charge of information collection for informative purposes rather than commercial.
- Journalists who are travelling to the US with the aim of gathering information about current event/events that are happening there. News information must be aimed at home-country audiences.
- A representative of the tourism bureau is travelling to gather tourism information about America. The trip must partly be sponsored by a foreign government.
- A person is responsible for technical industrial information distribution. An individual is permitted to work in the American offices of that firm.
- And a freelance journalist who has a contract with a foreign media firm
Workers that do not fit in with any of the criteria from above must apply for a different type of visa. Other job titles such as proofreader, librarian are forced to apply for other visas such as H, O, or P visas. Moreover, some titles require a visitor visa (such as B1&B2) to conduct their research in the US. This applies to:
- Individuals that attend conferences, conventions or seminars (who are attending in the role of participant and not reporter)
- Individuals who travel for lecture speaking purposes – this must be academic activity at the US university (lecture must not exceed 9 days)
- Individual wants to take independent research
- Individual who is travelling to the US for tourism purposes and won’t report on this trip
Furthermore, all media workers who are travelling to the US for journalism purposes (but are citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries) are still required to obtain an I Visa either way. Hence, if citizens from Visa Waiver Program countries decide to travel to conduct media research without an I Visa their entry will be rejected.
Note: I visa holder is not permitted to enrol in a full-time educational program or seek employment.
I Visa General Requirements
The I visa requirements are not difficult to fulfil, as the most important thing they need to prove is that they are travelling to fulfil their occupation (work for the position mentioned above). Thus, individuals must be gathering information on current issues in America and be representative of the foreign media firm. Other standards requirements, concerning documents, are:
- valid passport
- qualifications confirmation – work contracts, journal credentials, press card, previously published articles
- a document that confirms the person has no criminal record
- medical documents
- and letter from employer confirming purpose of the trip and detailed plan
Application Guide for I Visa
Application procedure for I visa happens at the U.S embassy office where the Ds-160 form is filled out using personal information, along with the purpose of the trip and other required fields. Once the form is submitted, a page with a code is supplied which is essential for further steps.
Next, applicants must provide a colored visa photo that measures 51×51 mm (2×2 inch), has a clear white background, and is printed on high-quality paper. To speed up the long application process, it is advised to use an online U.S. visa photo validator that enables the applicant to take their visa photo at home and edit it to match visa photo standards.
Once that is provided, an applicable visa fee has to be paid – $160. This fee is non-refundable even if the visa is rejected. Receipts must be saved for the next step. After paying the fee, an interview must be scheduled (this applies to candidates that are 14-79 years).
When scheduling an interview appointment letter will be sent to the applicant which is required to be attached to the document file. This is then followed by a final stage of document preparation and attending of appointments.
During this stage, all required documents, DS-160 confirmation page, fee receipts, and visa appointment letter are shown, and questions about the trip are asked. All questions must be answered in detail. An official decision will be given at the end of the interview.
Processing & Validity Time for I Visa
The processing time for such a visa is approximately 10 days after application submission. This might differ depending on the Embassy workload.
The validity of such a visa is usually 6 months, which is the same as a standard visitor visa. This might however be extended, depending on the period that a person needs to stay for to complete their work task.
If the visa is almost expired but the stay needs to be extended, then an I-539 form needs to be supplied. Any extensions are given for an additional year. Yet, there are no limits to extensions.
The visa status may be also changed if an individual finds a sponsor that is willing to sponsor the H-1B visa.
Can any dependents come with me on an I visa?
Dependents are permitted to come with the journalist or media professional if they are their spouse or an unmarried child. Application of dependents for a visa must happen during the same time or after a journalist is granted a visa.
Proof of relationship must be provided (marriage certificate, or birth certificate). Also if dependents decide to apply for a visa after a journalist is granted one, a copy of their visa needs to be attached.
