🇺🇸 United States visa checklist

Step by step

1. Check that your Philippine passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you plan to leave the US.
2. Fill out the DS-160 online application at ceac.state.gov. Upload a digital photo, list every social media username you used in the last 5 years, and answer every question truthfully. Then submit and print or save the confirmation page with the barcode.
3. Make an account on the official appointment site for the Philippines (ustraveldocs.com/ph) and pay the US$185 visa (MRV) fee in pesos. You can pay cash at RCBC branches (with the printed deposit slip from the site), by online bank transfer/PesoNet, or by credit card. The fee isn't refundable.
4. Book two appointments on the same site: first at the Visa Application Center (VAC) in Parqal, Parañaque, for your photo and fingerprints, then your interview at the US Embassy, 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila. The VAC appointment must come before the interview, or the interview is cancelled.
5. Renewing a B1/B2 visa? You may be able to skip the interview (drop-off) if: your old B1/B2 visa expired less than 12 months ago, it was issued for full validity, you were at least 18 when you got it, you're applying in the Philippines, you've never been refused a US visa (unless that was overcome or waived), and you have no apparent ineligibility. The appointment system's questions decide if you qualify. If you do, you send your passport and documents through the embassy courier instead. The officer can still call you in for an interview.
6. Go to your VAC appointment, then your embassy interview with your passport, DS-160 confirmation and appointment letter. The officer asks about your trip, job, family and money, and may or may not look at your documents.
7. If you're approved, the embassy keeps your passport and sends it back with the visa through 2Go Express. Pick-up at the Parañaque VAC is free, or 2Go Premium pick-up/delivery costs ₱750 per person (since April 17, 2026). You can change your choice until 11:59 pm Manila time on your interview day.
8. If you're refused under section 214(b), you get your passport back and there's no appeal. You can reapply (and pay a new fee), but only do it if your situation has really changed. If you get a 221(g) slip, follow its instructions to send the missing documents.

Your document checklist

Tick things off as you get them. Your ticks are saved on this phone or computer.

Everyone needs

• Philippine passportValid at least 6 months beyond your planned stay in the US, with a blank visa page. Bring old passports too, especially ones with past US visas.
• DS-160 confirmation pageThe printed page with the barcode/application ID. It's required, and without it you may not be allowed into the interview.
• Appointment confirmation letterFrom ustraveldocs.com/ph, for both the VAC and embassy appointments.
• MRV fee payment receiptProof you paid the US$185 fee.
• One printed photo (only if your DS-160 photo upload failed)2x2 inches (51x51 mm), colour, white or off-white background, taken in the last 6 months, no glasses. Your photo and fingerprints are also taken at the VAC.
• Proof of ties to the Philippines (optional but recommended)Not required by law. Most cases are decided after a short interview and a look at whatever proof of ties you bring. Bring documents that answer likely questions, but expect the officer to focus on your answers.
• Trip details (optional)A simple itinerary or where you'll stay, plus the dates of your last five US trips if you've been before. Don't buy non-refundable tickets before you get the visa.

Plus, depending on you

What it costs

Things you'll need to book

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For your application

After your visa is approved

Before you fly

Tips that help you get approved

• The interview is about you, not your folder. Officers decide mainly from your answers about your job, family, money and plans in the Philippines, so answer clearly, briefly and honestly.
• Make your DS-160, your interview answers and your documents match. List every social media handle you used in the last 5 years. Leaving one out can get you refused.
• Book the VAC (biometrics) appointment before your embassy interview, or the interview is cancelled.
• Only use the official sites: ceac.state.gov for the DS-160 and ustraveldocs.com/ph for fees and appointments. The embassy has warned Filipinos about visa fixers, fake documents and scams. Using fake documents can make you permanently ineligible.
• Renewing? If your last full-validity B1/B2 visa expired less than 12 months ago and you were 18 or older when you got it, you may be able to skip the interview. Don't let your old visa lapse for more than a year if you want this option.
• Children under 14 and adults over 79 no longer skip the interview automatically under the 2025 rules. Check the appointment system for each family member.
• Apply in the Philippines. Since September 2025, applying in another country is allowed but may be harder and slower.
• Don't buy non-refundable flights or pay for tours until the visa is in your passport.
• If you're refused under 214(b), don't reapply right away with the same story. Reapply when something important has changed, like a new job, more time at your job, or a clearer reason for your trip.
• Common official reasons for a 214(b) refusal: not showing strong ties to the Philippines (job, home, family), unclear travel plans, not enough money for the trip, or relying only on a relative's promise to support you.

What changed recently

• October 1, 2025: interview waivers got narrower (announced July 25, 2025, updated September 18, 2025). The waiver is now mainly for B1/B2 renewals within 12 months of expiry, with a full-validity old visa issued at age 18 or older, applying in your country of nationality or residence, and no past refusal. Children under 14 and adults over 79 lost their automatic exemption.
• September 6, 2025: visa applicants should apply in their country of nationality or residence. For Filipinos, that means Manila.
• August 1, 2025: 2Go Express replaced LBC for passport and document delivery. The premium pick-up/delivery fee went up to ₱750 per person on April 17, 2026.
• Visa Integrity Fee: the US$250 fee became law on July 4, 2025, but no official start date or collection has been announced as of November 4, 2026.
• Social media: every DS-160 applicant must list social media handles from the last 5 years (since 2019). Since 2025–2026, public profiles are required for students and exchange visitors (F, M, J; June 2025), H-1B/H-4 (December 15, 2025), and more categories (March 30, 2026, and October 1, 2026). B1/B2 visitors weren't on these lists as of last check.
• Visa bonds: a B1/B2 visa bond trial began August 20, 2025 and became permanent on August 3, 2026, with bonds of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 for people from listed countries. The Philippines was left out of the trial and isn't on the lists we found.
• Expedited appointments: from July 1 to December 31, 2026, the State Department is testing an optional US$750 fee for a B1/B2 interview within 10 working days, at selected embassies only. Whether Manila is included is not yet confirmed.
• Travel restrictions: Presidential Proclamation 10998 (from January 1, 2026) limits visas for people from 39 countries. The Philippines isn't on the list.
• Fraud warning: in late August 2026 the embassy warned Filipino applicants about fake documents, fixers and lying on applications.