Foreign officials who are traveling to the United States on official business must meet specific requirements to qualify for a diplomatic (A) visa under immigration law and obtain an A visa prior to their entry.  For an A-1 or A-2 visa, you must be traveling to the U.S on behalf of your national government to engage solely in official activities for that government.  You cannot travel on a tourist visa.

The fact that there may be government interest or control in a given organization is not in itself the defining factor in determining if you qualify for an A visa; the particular duties or services that will be performed must be governmental in character or nature.  Government officials traveling to the U.S. to perform non-governmental functions of a commercial nature, or traveling as tourists, require the appropriate visa, and do not qualify for A visas.

To qualify for a G visa for work with an international organization, the individual must be entering the United States in pursuance of official duties.

• G1 – Members of a permanent mission of a recognized government to an international organization
• G2 – Representatives of a recognized government traveling to the United States temporarily to attend meetings of a designated international organization
• G3 – Representatives of non-recognized or non-member governments
• G4 – Personnel proceeding to the United States to take up an appointment at a designated international organization, including the United Nations

No Fee/No Interview
If you apply for one of the following visa categories, interview and visa application fee are exempted – A-1, A-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4.

Required documentation:
Please submit the following 2-3 weeks in advance of travel

• Passport;
• DS-160 Confirmation Page:  Complete the form ONLINE and PRINT the confirmation page.
• One 5 x 5 cm color photo, taken within the last six months.  Older photos will delay the process.
• Diplomatic note (A visas) or invitation letter from international organizations (G visas), which states the applicant’s:
  • Name and date of birth,
  • Position and title,
  • Place of assignment or visit,
  • Purpose of travel,
  • Brief description of duties,
  • Travel dates,
  • Anticipated length of stay or tour of duty in the United States, and
  • Names, relationships, and dates of birth of any dependents who will accompany the principal applicant.

Procedures

U.S. Embassy Riyadh:  The Embassy’s Consular Section accepts application packages for A and G visas Sunday through Wednesday, from 1:00 to 3:00.  Protocol officers, couriers, or other designated representatives may submit application packages at those times.  For questions, please contact RiyadhNIV@state.gov.

U.S. Consulate General Jeddah:  The Consulate accepts application packages for A and G visas Sunday through Thursday, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.  Protocol officers, couriers, or other designated representatives may submit application packages at those times.  For questions, please contact JeddahVisas@state.gov.

U.S. Consulate General Dhahran:  The Consulate accepts application packages for A and G visas Sunday through Wednesday, from 1:00 to 3:00.  Protocol officers, couriers, or other designated representatives may submit application packages at those times.  For questions, please contact DhahranNIV@state.gov.

Immediate Family Members
Immediate family members are defined as the spouse and unmarried legal sons and daughters of the principal noncitizen, who are not members of some other household and who will reside regularly in the household of the principal noncitizen, provided that such unmarried sons and daughters are:

(A)  Under the age of 21, or
(B)  Under the age of 23 and in full-time attendance as students at post-secondary educational institutions.

Immediate family members as described above are eligible for derivative A or G visas. Application procedures are the same as for the principal applicant.

The U.S. Embassy is located in Riyadh in the Diplomatic Quarter.  Visa services are available Sunday through Thursday (excluding American and Saudi National Holidays), by appointment only.

For further assistance, please contact us through one of the following:

Non-immigrant Visa: support-saudiarabia@ustraveldocs.com
Immigrant Visas: RiyadhIV@state.gov

Visa services are available Sunday to Thursday (excluding holidays), and by appointment only. Non-Immigrant Visa interviews are conducted from 8:00-11:00am, while Immigrant Visa interviews are conducted from 12:30-3:00pm.

For non-immigrant-related visa questions at U.S. Consulate General Jeddah, please contact us through support-saudiarabia@ustraveldocs.com or http://www.ustraveldocs.com/sa

Visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the date and time of your visa interview. Be sure to check the Schedule My Appointment page for the necessary documentation needed for your appointment.

U.S. Consulate General Jeddah

Al Safa Street
Al Muhammadiyah District, near the new American School building.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Phone: +966 12 220 5000