Ask the Consul 

Questions & Answers

Latest Questions

February 5, 2009   Question: In 2009 I will graduate to be a licensed nurse. I would like to work in the United States. Can I work as a nurse with a non-immigrant visa? How can I get more information about the procedures of visas for nurses?   Consular Officer: There is a special visa class for nurses who are needed to work in certain areas of the U.S. where there is a critical shortage.  You may check the Department of State web site for more information:  http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1271.html You will need a solid job offer and DHS will have to approve a petition from an employer in the U.S. first.  To our knowledge U.S. nursing recruiters are not active in Bulgaria, so you would need to find a prospective employer in the States on your own.   Question: For 4 years 9 months I have had a green card, and for 4 years 3 months of this time I have lived in the U.S.A.  In August 2008 I came back to Bulgaria and I am still in Bulgaria. I gave birth in December. I would like to know what do I need to travel back to the U.S.A. with my kid?   Consular Officer: You may travel back to the U.S. with your baby without a visa under the following conditions: 1. You have not been outside the U.S. for more than one year. You need to return before August 2009. 2. This must be the first trip back to the U.S. for both you and the baby since he/she was born. 3. The baby must have a Bulgarian passport and a birth certificate. You should have the birth certificate translated. The airlines are aware of this procedure but you may contact the Consular section for a travel letter stating this law, if you wish.   Question: Can a student take part in a students “brigade” without the help of a go-between firm? To prepare everything needed himself?    Consular Officer:  Actually, there is no ironclad requirement that you must go through one of the recruiting agencies here in Bulgaria in order to participate in the Summer Work and Travel Program.  But you must present a DS-2019 form -- Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status -- with a SEVIS ID Number as evidence of acceptance in a designated exchange visitor program. You may work through one of the sponsors in the U.S. listed here: http://eca.state.gov/jexchanges/index.cfm?fuseaction=record.list&cat=12   Question: My daughter and I are applying for a visa. Please tell me if we can have the interview together or  we need to have different slots for interviews?   Consular Officer: No, you do not need to apply together. Question: I was refused an H2B visa last year. What are my chances now?   Consular Officer:  That all depends on whether the interviewing officer feels the circumstances which led us previously to perceive risk in your case have now changed.  You yourself probably already have a fairly good idea of the answer to that question.  At your last interview the officer was concerned that you might remain in the U.S. indefinitely, whether working with authorization or not, effectively using a non-immigrant visa to become a permanent resident.  Is there any reason now that such concerns would not apply?    Question: When the next web chat will be?    Consular Officer:  We hope to get the Consul General back online very soon, and he’s very interested in doing that.  Stay tuned.    Question: We would like to invite my wife's brother to visit us in the US. What needs to be in the invitation letter? Consular Officer:  First of all, please remember, as we have stressed repeatedly:  invitations are not repeat NOT required to apply for a visa, or to be granted a visa.  An applicant should simply be prepared to tell us why he/she wishes to travel to the U.S. and what he/she plans to do there.  We don’t need to see a formal invitation letter even when an applicant plans to visit a friend, acquaintance or family member in the States.  Such individuals may send letters if they wish, but these seldom prove very convincing or useful for the interviewing consular officer.  What we’re really interested in are frank, complete answers to our questions.     Question: Hi. I would like to ask you something very important. My mother is a citizen of Russia. What type of visa must she apply for, if she wants to work in the U.S.A.?   Consular Officer: In order to work in the U.S. an applicant, no matter what country he/she is from, must have a petition approved by DHS in the U.S. before applying for a visa. This petition must be filed by the person or company that will hire the applicant. More information is available on our web site: http://bulgaria.usembassy.gov/types_of_visa.html    Question: Hi. I plan to visit U.S.A. in June 2009 upon the invitation of friends who have green cards.  I want to organize the trip with return tickets ASAP and I am interested if the period for  application must be right before the departure or I can apply for a visa in January?   Consular Officer: You may apply for a visa as early as you like. There is no time frame in which you may or may not apply.  In fact, you don’t even need to have a definite trip planned in order to apply for a visa.   Question:  "I am interested in the following. My brother is an American citizen. Can he act as a sponsor so that my daughters, who are 17 and 19, get American citizenship, and what are the requirements for this? Thank you. "    Consular Section: No, the girls’ uncle may not petition for immigrant visas for your daughters. U.S. citizens are allowed to file petitions only for the following family members: spouse, children, parents and siblings.   Question:  "My family and I received green cards during the year of 2003. Unfortunately my wife and son, who is thirteen years old, exceeded their one year limit of absence from the USA. I have been living and working in the USA since 2003. Are my wife and son allowed to come and live with me in the States? What needs to be done, if otherwise?"    Consular Section: Legal Permanent Residents (green card holders) are considered to have abandoned their status if they remain outside the USA for more than one year. However, they can be re-classified as a Returning Resident immigrant if they had Legal Permanent Resident status when they left the USA, they departed from the USA with the intention of returning and their visit abroad was temporary but was delayed for reasons outside the person’s control and influence. A resident who wishes to return may self-petition by filing a DS-117 form with a consular officer at the Embassy and proving that the three conditions listed above are met. The officer will review the case and make a determination at that time.   Question:  "I have an interview for a new entry visa. I am currently an F-1 student. For the proof of funds, I was wondering how recent my bank statement needs to be. Do you have any time limits on the validity of the bank statements?"    Consular Section: Well, it certainly stands to reason that old bank statements will hold little relevance with regard to an applicant’s current ability to fund his/her education abroad.  Also please remember that funding is only one issue under consideration in connection with any student visa application, and that bank statements might not be the most reliable indicator of an applicant’s true ability to meet costs without having to engage in unauthorized employment in the U.S.   Question:  "I have a green card, and my boyfriend is a Serbian who lives and works in Bulgaria but does not have Bulgarian citizenship. Is there a way for him to get a certain type of visa to stay with me? Thank you. "    Consular Section: Yes, your friend may apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. In fact, it is preferable for him to apply here because this is where he lives and works. In general, a person should apply in the country in which he/she lives so that the Consular Officer can best evaluate the applicant’s ties to his/her residence abroad.   Question:  "I have lived in the USA for the last 10 years and I am a citizen now. I want to apply for a green card for my mother so that she can come here. Now she lives in Bulgaria. Where should I file the necessary documents – in Bulgaria or in the USA? I have no brothers and sisters and my mother is very sick. Are such cases considered with a preference?  How long does it take to get a green card?."    Consular Section: You must file a petition for your mother in the U.S. All legal permanent residents and American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, must file an I-130 petition for family members at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence. You can find information at this web site: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf). Question: I started working in the U.S.A. when I was 59 years old. When will I have the right to retire and get a pension?   Consular Officer: According to Social Security law, you must work for at least 10 years before you are eligible for benefits.  More information is available at the Social Security Administration web site: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/creditsa.htm.    Question: "I have a friend who is a Bulgarian citizen, and was recently denied a tourist visa to the US. He has indicated that the denial was based on suspicion that he may not return to Bulgaria. This makes no sense. Everyone here in the US that knows him knows how much he loves his country. Once denied, can he appeal or reapply for the tourist visa"?    Consular Section: According to U.S. law, each applicant for a visa is assumed to be an intending immigrant.  Therefore, in order for an interviewing consular officer to approve a tourist visa for an applicant, the officer must feel confident that the applicant presents no significant risk of harboring intentions to live and/or work in the U.S.   This does not imply that applicants are required to bring piles of documents (only a passport and completed application form are absolutely necessary) or make extensive presentation at the interviewing window.  Straightforward, fairly basic questions are normally enough to provide the info an officer needs, provided the applicant answers honestly and frankly.  We can get a call wrong on occasion – sometimes applicants who are issued visas for a purported brief visit remain illegally in the U.S. to work, and some applicants who would have returned on time and never worked while in the U.S. may be denied  visas.  We do think these latter cases are decidedly rare, but they happen.  Your friend may reapply for another visa, but ordinarily, unless there is some major change in his situation, we recommend he wait a year because another officer is likely to come to the same conclusion.  If he believes very strongly that an error was made by the officer who interviewed him, he may FAX a letter to the Consul General, who will review his case and respond to him.  The fax is 937-5209.   Question: I have been in the United States for over 8 years. I entered on a J1 visa, went through university on an F1 and after school, I opened my own business and applied for an E2 visa. My petition for this visa was approved and a new I94 was issued. As soon as arrived to Bulgaria I went to the embassy to get my visa and believe it or not, I got denied. I do not intend to spend my life in the US, but I just started a business there which I was hoping to develop and sell later on so I have capital to start a new venture in Spain. My parents are also in the US with green cards. All my means of living are there as of now.    Consular Section: As stated in the previous answer, anyone applying for a non-immigrant visa to the U.S. is assumed to be an intending immigrant. In your case, you’ve been in the U.S. for the last eight years, having gone originally on a temporary exchange visa and stayed.  Both your parents live there, and as you yourself state clearly your “means of living are there.”  It appeared to the consular officer you definitely appear to be an intending immigrant, so you are ineligible for another non-immigrant visa.  Although you had a petition for an E2 visa approved in the U.S. the law specifically requires that once you leave the U.S. you must be interviewed by a consular officer overseas for a visa before you can return.  This is so that officer may reevaluate your ties to your “home country,” in this case Bulgaria.  Unless you establish a stable, abiding life here (or in another country, like Spain) you will not be able to qualify for a non-immigrant visa.   Question: In the course of 6 months how many times a U.S.A. citizen has the right to enter and leave Bulgaria – not to stay in the country all the time, but to leave for other European countries and be back for instance every week, so that  the airport passport control do not make it a problem? Thank you.   Consular Section: An American citizen can enter and leave Bulgaria for tourism purposes without a visa as many times as he/she wants.  The only rule is that one cannot stay more than 90 days cumulatively in a six month period. So an American could enter twice and stay 45 days each time and then need to leave, or enter 45 times and stay 2 days each time.  If an American stays more than 90 days during any six-month period, he/she will have to pay a fine upon leaving Bulgaria.     Question:  I studied a lot of information, mainly in Internet, but I am still not sure if American citizens can enter Bulgaria without a visa, and – further – if they have the right, and under what regulations this can be, to work in Bulgaria?   Consular Section: An American citizen may enter Bulgaria for tourism purposes without a visa according to the guidelines noted in the last question.  An American would need a D visa in order to work in Bulgaria. To obtain a work visa, he/she must first have a job offer and then an approved petition from the Department of Labor in Bulgaria. Then he/she would need to return to the Bulgarian Embassy in D.C. to have a D visa approved based on this petition. It cannot be issued in Bulgaria or in a neighboring country.   Question: I can’t wait to apply for a green card but I see that the campaign DV-2009 is over. When will the next campaign be?   Consular Section: The registration period for the 2010 Diversity Visa Lottery started in October and will end on December 1.  If you want to register, you should do so quickly. The requirements for the entry and the instructions are on our website.   Question: I came to Bulgaria with a J1 visa, then I changed my status to a B2 visa so that I could spend New Year in the U.S.A., and then before my B2 visa expired I returned to Bulgaria. Will this change of my status have a negative influence, if I want to apply for another U.S.A. visa?   Consular Section: No, the change of visa status won’t necessarily disqualify you for another visa.  However, the Consular Officer will certainly wonder exactly why you decided to stay and what you did during that time. Did you continue working? The Consular Officer will also need to feel confident that you won’t try to adjust status and stay in the U.S. permanently if you are issued another visa.   Question: I have a visa R of the type B1/B2, issued on April 16, 2002 and valid until April 15, 2012. Will I have a problem entering the U.S.A. since my visa was issued long ago?   Consular Section: No, you won’t have any problem. Your visa is valid until 2012, just like it says. Question: "Hello, I have a question which probably is often asked. I got a green card and will marry a Bulgarian in  Bulgaria. Will my green card have to be changed after I get a new family name? Thank you."    Consular Section: If you change your name after the marriage and apply for a new Bulgarian passport,  you can travel on your new Bulgarian passport and green card.  Please keep in mind that you must travel with the translated marriage certificate, authenticated with apostil seal as proof of the name change.  Once in the U.S., you must apply for the replacement of your green card by filing an I-90, attaching a copy of the translated marriage certificate with apostil seal.   You can download the I-90 from the DHS website and have it already completed upon returning to the U.S. and submit it to the Immigration officer at the border.  Filing Instructions for filing for replacement are attached to the I-90.   Question: "I'm considering marrying my girlfriend, a Bulgarian citizen, and moving to Bulgaria. How does dual citizenship work? I talked with the consulate and they remarked that I would need to live in Bulgaria for three years after marrying to become a Bulgarian citizen, but will I lose my American citizenship or can I hold both passports?"    Consular Section: According to Bulgarian law, if a foreign citizen naturalizes and becomes a Bulgarian citizen, they must give up their original citizenship and passport. If your wife-to-be decides to naturalize and become an American citizen some day, she would not be required to give up her Bulgarian citizenship.   Question: "My parents were approved for and issued immigrant visas in Bulgaria and just arrived in the States. What exactly is the process from here to get them a Green Card based on the immigrant visa?"    Consular Section: There is nothing else that needs to be done for their green cards. If they won the Diversity Visa Lottery or went on a family-based petition, the green cards will be mailed to them automatically.   Question: "Hello, I have a question which probably is often asked. I got a green card and will marry a Bulgarian in  Bulgaria. Will my green card have to be changed after I get a new family name? Thank you."    Consular Section: If you change your name after the marriage and apply for a new Bulgarian passport,  you can travel on your new Bulgarian passport and green card.  Please keep in mind that you must travel with the translated marriage certificate, authenticated with apostil seal as proof of the name change.  Once in the U.S., you must apply for the replacement of your green card by filing an I-90, attaching a copy of the translated marriage certificate with apostil seal.   You can download the I-90 from the DHS website and have it already completed upon returning to the U.S. and submit it to the Immigration officer at the border.  Filing Instructions for filing for replacement are attached to the I-90.   Question: "I have a child of 10 and he will like to visit his cousin in the U.S.A. during the winter school vacation. Is there age limit for kids."   Consular Section: Thank you for this good question.  No, there is not a restriction for children receiving visas.  It's best for both parents to be present with the child/children to apply for their visa.  A signed declaration from both parents, including copies of each parent's lichna karta, will be necessary of course IF your children will be traveling with one or no parents.  These documents are required upon exiting the Bulgarian border.  If your child is traveling with both parents, these declarations are not necessary.    Question: "Dear Mr. Beyrle, I would like to make an inquiry about a friend of mine. I myself am a permanent resident of the USA for more than three years. I won the Green Card Diversity Lottery in 2003. My friend won the Lottery this summer. She and her family are waiting for the second letter with the appointment date for their visa interview. They are using a consultant agency and they have been told that the next letter will arrive in April because their number is 17,000. I don't know a case when people receive letters later than January. The interviews are usually January or February. Is there any way for her to know her interview date? Thank you in advance for your time."     Consular Section: Another good question. She will be informed of the interview date as the number becomes available. In many cases, the immigrant visa process takes time.  Normally, upon receipt of the second letter, the interview is scheduled within 1-2 months.  For further inquiries, your friend can email KCCDV@state.gov at any time.   Question: "We are U.S.citizens living in the U.S. since 2001. We have two daughters outside the country in Bulgaria where are married and we are wondering how we can get green cards for them.  Thank you."   Consular Section: You must start the procedure to petition (I-130) for your daughters at a DHS office closest to you in the United States.  Immigrant Visas are organized into classifications, based on relationships.  In this case, you would be petitioning for a F3 family preference classification for each of your married daughters.   Question: " I am in touch with an American friend and we have a plan – an idea to work together. I can invest over 100,000  and when I called the Embassy I was told that I need visa E-2. Can you please share more information about this visa. Thank you and have a nice day."   Consular Section: An E-2 visa is for someone to go to the U.S. to direct and develop a business in which they have invested a substantial amount of money. The E-2 differs from the E-1 visa in that the E-2 requires a large amount of money to be invested in a real business that creates jobs rather than participation in a business that generates substantial international trade.  You can find more information about both E-2 and E-1 visas at this useful website (as well as some examples of what you cannot do with an E-2 visa): http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=f5c40b4a072f455904cfbd110fdd54dd   Question: " I am very interested if after the New Year Bulgarians will need no visas for the U.S.A."   Consular Section: Bulgaria will not be joining the Visa Waiver Program immediately after the New Year. This statement released by Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Karagiannis on August 3 helps explain why: Under a new U.S. law, countries with visa refusal rates of not more than 10 percent in the previous year can be considered for the Visa Waiver Program.  (Bulgaria currently has a tourist refusal rate of about 17 percent.)   Candidate countries must also show a sustained reduction in the number of people who stay or work illegally in the United States.  The law also significantly enhances VWP security requirements, including enhanced information sharing, document security, and airport security standards, all designed to improve cooperation against terrorism and increase international border security.  Additionally, the law requires improvements in the U.S. border security screening system, including establishment of an electronic travel authorization system and a system to verify visitors’ exits from the United States.  Under the new law, these systems must be in place before new countries enter the VWP. Taking into account these standards and requirements, it is likely to take at least a year or more before Bulgaria’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program might become imminent.   Question: " Would you answer the following question:  Is it possible for a friend of mine who has green card to send me an invitation?   He often comes to Bulgaria. He told me that there are a lot of interesting places in the USA that should be seen. He invited me as a guest in his house for a week. I can afford this trip."   Consular Section: Anyone can send you an invitation to visit at any time.  However, an invitation letter is not the key to qualifying for a tourist visa, and in fact invitations are not repeat NOT required to apply for or obtain a tourist visa.  You or anyone else may perfectly well apply for a visa without any invitation at all.  The only documentary requirements for application are a completed application form with photo, a valid passport and the receipt from the bank showing payment of the application fee (100 dollars or the equivalent in leva).  To qualify for a tourist visa, an applicant must seem a good risk not to remain in the U.S. longer than he or she should, and not to begin working while there.  That is really the only requirement.  Invitation letters are unnecessary and often irrelevant.  We’d like to remind all potential applicants not to spend time thinking about them or trying to get them.  Please!   Question: " My mother-in-law, 72 years old, traveled to the U.S. in Sept. 2006. She was issued a green card there. She stayed for about three months and she returned in January 2007. Since then she has been here about 9 months. She wants to return to the USA. Does she need a visa? "   Consular Section: No, she does not need a visa if she was outside of the U.S. for less than one year. However, since she was outside of the U.S. for more than 6 months she will most likely be taken into secondary inspection by the U.S. Immigration at the airport when she arrives for further questioning.  This is because if you have a green card you are supposed to live in the U.S.  You are not generally allowed to live in another country and use the green card to travel to the U.S. occasionally.  If your mother-in-law does this more than once or twice, the Immigration officer at the airport may decide that she is not really entitled to resident status and deny her entry. If she wants to live in Bulgaria and travel occasionally to the U.S. (to visit one of her children, I assume) she should exchange her green card and apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa instead.   Question: "My husband, a natural born U.S. citizen, is coming from the U.S. to Bulgaria in a couple of weeks with a Bulgarian Visa Type D. Will he be able to work in Bulgaria? Will he be able to travel back and forth to the U.S.? What is the procedure and fees to get papers here? I talked to one Migration Officer in Vidin and that Officer couldn't answer most of my questions, except for telling me that my husband needs to pay 500 leva every year if he wants a temp 1 year ID - is that true? "   Consular Section: A “D” visa is for temporary long-term residency in Bulgaria. Depending on the reasons for which the visa was issued, the holder may or may not be allowed to work. If paperwork was submitted and it was issued for work, then, of course, the holder may work. However, if it was issued to him as the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen only, then he is not allowed to work. Once he has that visa and is in Bulgaria, he needs to apply for a lichna carta which does indeed cost 500 leva to renew every year. He may come and go as he pleases from Bulgaria with the lichna carta. After he has been in Bulgaria for 5 years on this “D” visa, he is considered a permanent resident and can work.     Question: " If one has a valid C1/D visa (for seamen), is it possible to travel with it as a tourist to the U.S.A. and for how long? Thank you."    Consular Section: No, you may not travel as a tourist to the U.S. with a C1/D visa. That type of visa is only for transit as a crew member to and from a ship or plane.     Question: "I am graduating with an MBA in Finance in December at OCU, in OK. My mother has been living and working in Greece for 7 years. The university and I invited her to my graduation ceremony, but on 24th of Sept. at the U.S. Embassy in Greece, the visa was denied. Can she apply for a visa again from Bulgaria and what are her chances of getting a visa? In Greece nobody even looked on her invitation letter from the university. One of the reasons for the denial, we are guessing, is because she doesn't own any property in Greece, but she does in Bulgaria.     Consular Section: A visa applicant should apply in the country where he/she lives and works.  Always, to qualify for a visa, an applicant must appear a good risk NOT to remain in the U.S. or seek unauthorized employment there.  Owning property is not necessarily a crucial aspect of any given applicant’s case.  As far as applying in Bulgaria, no, your mother lives and works in Greece, so she ought to continue applying there.  Perhaps you or her may want to submit a written appeal to the Consular Chief there.     Question: "We are U.S. citizens living in the U.S. since 2000. We have parents outside the country in Bulgaria and are wondering how we can get green cards for them. Thank you."    Consular Section: You must file a petition for your parents with the Department of Homeland Security. If you go to this website:   http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/ you can find the information and forms you need to start the process. The good news is that it is fairly quick to get Bulgarian parents the proper visas to immigrate to the U.S. (less than one year).     Question: "I AM A BULGARIAN CITIZEN BUT CURRENTLY I RESIDE IN FYRO MACEDONIA.  I'M ALSO A CITIZEN THERE.  WHERE DO I APPLY FOR A TOURIST VISA - IN BULGARIA OR MACEDONIA"    Consular Section: You should apply in the country where you normally live and work.  According to U.S. law, you must prove to a Consular Officer that you have ties to the country where you are applying and that you will return to that country after your visit.  In this case, it would be Macedonia.

Question:  "DOES BULGARIA HAVE A RECIPROCAL TREATY WITH THE U.S. AS TO THE PAYMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS? AN AMERICAN CITIZEN HAS A WIFE LIVING IN BULGARIA WHO IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN. IS SHE ENTITLED TO SPOUSAL BENEFITS UNDER SOCIAL SECURITY?"

Consular Section: No, Bulgaria does not have a reciprocal social security agreement with the U.S.  However, Bulgarian spouses of American citizens may receive benefits as a dependent or a survivor if they meet certain criteria.  For example, they must have lived in the U.S. for at least five years.  During those five years, the family relationship on which benefits are based must have existed.  You may find further details at this Social Security website: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html. You may also come to the Embassy to fill out the paperwork, and we will submit it to the Social Security office for you so that can determine your eligibility.

Question:  "I HAVE AN EMPLOYER IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY WILL HIRE ME TO WORK AS AN AU PAIR IN THEIR COUNTRY.  WHAT IS THE TYPE OF VISA I MUST SECURE AND HOW LONG IS THE PROCESS? WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE NEEDED?"

Consular Section: To work as an Au Pair, you need a J1 exchange visitor visa, not a work visa, for which you will need to obtain a form DS-2019 from an official program sponsor.  You must go through an official program, speak English and obtain at least 6 hours of academic credit at an accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institution while there.  You may work as an au pair for up to 12 months.  Further information and a list of participant programs is available at: http://exchanges.state.gov/education/jexchanges/private/aupair.htm.

Question:  "I HAVE BEEN A CITIZEN OF THE U.S.A. SINCE APRIL 2005. ON MAY 21, 2007,  A CHILD OF MINE WAS BORN IN BULGARIA. CAN THE CHILD GET A U.S. CITIZENSHIP AS WE LIVE IN BULGARIA?"

Consular Section: Your child may receive U.S. citizenship provided you have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 5 years (the time you were there before you were a citizen counts) and two of those years must be after the age of 14.  If you believe your child qualifies as an American citizen, you may come to the U.S. Embassy with proof of your citizenship, the child’s birth certificate, and marriage certificate, and divorce decrees if applicable, and we will help you fill out the forms to properly register him.

Question: "I AM A BULGARIAN CITIZEN BUT CURRENTLY I RESIDE IN FYRO MACEDONIA.  I'M ALSO A CITIZEN THERE.  WHERE DO I APPLY FOR A TOURIST VISA - IN BULGARIA OR MACEDONIA"

Consular Section: You should apply in the country where you normally live and work.  According to U.S. law, you must prove to a Consular Officer that you have ties to the country where you are applying and that you will return to that country after your visit.  In this case, it would be Macedonia.

Question: "My family is very disappointed to learn that web sites like www.usafis.org are not legal. We paid them a fee to enter the diversity visa green card lottery. Now that the campaign for DV-2008 is over, we understand that the company is not authorized by the State Department. Why has the American Embassy not stopped them and has not banned their business activity in this country?"

Consular Section: I am very sorry to hear that you spent money unnecessarily. Unfortunately, the U.S. Embassy has no control over what people advertise on the internet and anyone may start a business and advertise on the internet. On the first page of visa information on our Embassy web site we have a warning about these companies. It states the following: Please remember that NO FEE is ever charged to enter the annual Diversity Visa (DV) program. The U.S. Government does not employ outside consultants or private services to operate the DV program.  Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV applications or other visa paperwork do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Here is another site that has information about these companies: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt003.shtm One piece of good news though: even though these companies are not authorized by the State Department and we do not recommend you use them, they will still submit your application and you have the same chance of winning even though you went through an outside company. So, good luck!

Question:  "Imam pasport validen do 2010 god. No trqbva da kandidatstvam za viza F1. Tq trqbva da e validna do moeto zavur6vanesled 4 god i 6 meseca spored iziskvaneto. Trqbva li da si pravq nov pasport sled kato toi vaji o6te 3 god."

Consular Section: No, you do not need to get a new passport now. When you get a new passport in 2010, you can continue to carry your old passport with the valid visa in it until you finish school in 2011. As a rule, when you apply for a visa your passport needs to be good for at least 6 months beyond the current date.