non-immigrant visas

New Business Visa Program

The American Embassy in Prague, in coordination with the American Chamber of Commerce, begins its new Business Visa Program on Wednesday, January 10.  The program was developed to help foster strong economic and commercial ties between the Czech Republic and the U.S., and to make the visa process as easy and efficient as possible for business travelers.

This program will provide business travelers who are AmCham members with more control over their schedules, by giving them dedicated interview times each week and decreasing the amount of time spent on the initial stages of the visa process.  There is no extra charge to use this program.

To qualify for the program, the traveler must have concrete and verifiable business plans in the U.S., e.g., specific travel dates, itineraries, and purpose of travel, including business negotiations, site visits, corporate training, conferences and warranty repair/service work.

Please note: If the employee is going to the U.S. to conduct warranty repair or service work, he must submit to AmCham a copy of the original sales contract that includes the repair/service clause.

The deadline for completing all application materials is 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, the day prior to the interview.  AmCham and your corporate HR Department will help you complete the necessary forms, photos, and payments. Though the process is straightforward, we advise that you act early to ensure that you get a reserved spot, as appointments are handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The Chamber will deliver all the other required paperwork directly to the Embassy.  Interviews will then be conducted Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. 

Spouses and school-aged children may participate in the program if they plan to accompany the primary applicant on the business trip.  However, family members 14 years and older must be present at the time of the primary applicant’s interview and have their own completed application, payments and paperwork, submitted through the Chamber.  Family members who accompany the main applicant do not count against the 30 reserved slots. 

Please contact the AmCham Visa Program liaison, at 420-737-258-088 or http://www.amcham.cz for more information. All forms may be found here, as well as general information on visas.

If your plans are not business-related, e.g., tourism, you should schedule an appointment on the NIV Appointment System page.  Wait times for an appointment are generally short.

Reminder:  On the day of the interview, applicants should arrive no more than a few minutes early for their appointments.  They should also bring their passports that are valid for another six months, as well as any older passports that contain American visas.  Use of this program does not guarantee visa issuance.