Embassy of the United States Athens, Greece

Participants in an international cultural exchange program designed to provide practical training, employment and sharing of the participant’s native culture, require classification Q visas.

The training/employment must be approved in advance by the office United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States on the basis of a petition, form I-129, filed by the U.S. sponsor.

A new petition must be filed each time a qualified employer wants to bring additional persons into the United States in Q status.
Before a petition may be filed with the USCIS, the following criteria must be met:

• The cultural exchange program:
• The culture-sharing must take place in a school, museum, business or other establishment where the public is exposed to aspects of a foreign culture as part of a structured program;
• The cultural component must be an essential and integral part of the participant’s employment and training, and must be designed to exhibit the attitude, customs, history, heritage, philosophy and/or tradition of the alien’s country of nationality; and
• The alien’s employment and training may not be independent of the cultural component. 

The organization must demonstrate that it has the ability to conduct a responsible international cultural exchange program and has the financial ability to remunerate the participant and offer him/her wages and working conditions comparable to those accorded local domestic workers similarly employed.

The applicant must be at least 18 years of age, qualified to perform the stated service or labor or receive the specified type of training and have the ability to communicate effectively about his/her culture.

A Q visa petition is approved for the length of the program, or for fifteen months, whichever is shorter. The holder of a Q visa who has spent fifteen months in the United States may not be issued a visa or be readmitted under the Q visa classification unless he/she has resided and been physically present outside the United States for one year.

Applicants who wish to apply for cultural exchange visa must come in person to the U.S. Embassy.  To schedule an appointment, please click here

Documents required for Q visa are:

• A valid passport that has been signed by the applicant and, where applicable,
• Previous passport with previously issued visa or
• Police report in case of theft or loss of a previous passport with valid visa.  The report may be issued by a local police station or consular office or other foreign authority.
• If you have ever been arrested and /or have a criminal conviction, have a medical ineligibility, or have been denied entry into or deported from the United States, you will be required to furnish documents relating to your situation in support of your application.
• The paid duplicate receipt from Piraeus Bank (see step 3).
• The printed confirmation page containing the barcode generated by the DS-160 online application form (see step 4).
• One photograph that meets the required specifications (see step 5). Even if you have successfully uploaded the photo to the DS-160 please bring one with you on the day of your appointment.
• The original, photocopy or facsimile copy of the Notice of Action, Form I-797A, B or C.  The application cannot be processed without this form.

Reminder: We always recommend that individuals apply for visas well in advance of their proposed date of travel. No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of non refundable ticket should not be made until a visa has been issued and you are in receipt of the passport.