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U.S. Visas > U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country > Iran, Islamic Republic of
Select a visa category below to find the visa issuance fee, number of entries, and validity period for visas issued to applicants from this country*/area of authority.
Visa Classification: The type of nonimmigrant visa you are applying for.
Fee: The reciprocity fee, also known as the visa issuance fee, you must pay. This fee is in addition to the nonimmigrant visa application fee (MRV fee).
Number of Entries: The number of times you may seek entry into the United States with that visa. "M" means multiple times. If there is a number, such as "One", you may apply for entry one time with that visa.
Validity Period: This generally means the visa is valid, or can be used, from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel with that visa. If your Validity Period is 60 months, your visa will be valid for 60 months from the date it is issued.
| Visa Classification |
Fee | Number of Entries |
Validity Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ |
| A-2 | None | One | 3 Months |
| A-3 1 | None | One | 3 Months |
| B-1 | None | One | 3 Months |
| B-2 | None | One | 3 Months |
| B-1/B-2 | None | One | 3 Months |
| C-1 | None | One | 3 Months |
| C-1/D | None | One | 3 Months |
| C-2 | None | One | 3 Months |
| C-3 | None | One | 3 Months |
| CW-1 11 | None | One | 3 Months |
| CW-2 11 | None | One | 3 Months |
| D | None | One | 3 Months |
| E-1 | ◉ | ◉ | ◉ |
| E-2 | ◉ | ◉ | ◉ |
| E-2C | None | One | 3 Months |
| F-1 | None | Multiple | 24 Months C |
| F-2 | None | Multiple | 24 Months C |
| G-1 ■ | None | One | 3 Months |
| G-2 ■ | None | One | 3 Months |
| G-3 ■ | None | One | 3 Months |
| G-4 ■ | None | One | 3 Months |
| G-5 1 ■ | None | One | 3 Months |
| H-1B | $19.00 | One | 3 Months 3 |
| H-1C | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| H-2A | None | N/A | N/A3 |
| H-2B | None | N/A | N/A3 |
| H-2R | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| H-3 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| H-4 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| I | None | One | 3 Months |
| J-1 4 | None | Multiple | 24 Months C |
| J-2 4 | None | Multiple | 24 Months C |
| K-1 | None | One | 6 Months |
| K-2 | None | One | 6 Months |
| K-3 | None | One | 6 Months |
| K-4 | None | One | 6 Months |
| L-1 | $19.00 | One | 3 Months |
| L-2 | $19.00 | One | 3 Months |
| M-1 | None | Multiple | 24 Months C |
| M-2 | None | Multiple | 24 Months C |
| N-8 | None | One | 3 Months |
| N-9 | None | One | 3 Months |
| NATO 1-7 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| O-1 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| O-2 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| O-3 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| P-1 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| P-2 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| P-3 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| P-4 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| Q-1 6 | None | One | 3 Months 3 |
| R-1 | $19.00 | One | 3 Months |
| R-2 | $19.00 | One | 3 Months |
| S-5 7 | None | One | 1 Month |
| S-6 7 | None | One | 1 Month |
| S-7 7 | None | One | 1 Month |
| T-1 9 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| T-2 | None | One | 6 Months |
| T-3 | None | One | 6 Months |
| T-4 | None | One | 6 Months |
| T-5 | None | One | 6 Months |
| T-6 | None | One | 6 Months |
| TD 5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| U-1 | None | Multiple | 48 Months |
| U-2 | None | Multiple | 48 Months |
| U-3 | None | Multiple | 48 Months |
| U-4 | None | Multiple | 48 Months |
| U-5 | None | Multiple | 48 Months |
| V-1 | None | One | 3 Months |
| V-2 | None | One | 3 Months 8 |
| V-3 | None | One | 3 Months 8 |
▲. Diplomatic relations with Iran were severed on April 7, 1980.
◉. The 1955 U.S.-Iran Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights is now terminated. Consequently, the U.S. Department of State no longer has a basis under U.S. law to issue E-1 or E-2 visas to principal applicants who are nationals of Iran.
■. G-1, G-2, and G-3 visa applicants must submit their applications to either U.S. Embassy Bern or U.S. Embassy Vienna. Please contact the consular sections in Bern and Vienna for additional details on the application process. G-4 and G-5 applicants are not required to apply at U.S. Embassy Bern or U.S. Embassy Vienna.
The validity of A-3, G-5, and NATO 7 visas may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the person who is employing the applicant. The "employer" would have one of the following visa classifications:
An E-1 and E-2 visa may be issued only to a principal alien who is a national of a country having a treaty, or its equivalent, with the United States. E-1 and E-2 visas may not be issued to a principal alien if he/she is a stateless resident or national of a country without a treaty. *When the spouse and children of an E-1 or E-2 principal alien are accorded derivative E-1 or E-2 status and are themselves a national of a country that does not have a treaty with the United States – the reciprocity schedule, including any reciprocity fees, of the principal alien’s country of nationality should be used. **Spouse and children of an E-1 or E-2 visa principal applicant, where the spouse and children are also nationals of a country that has a treaty with the United States – the reciprocity schedule, including any reciprocity fees, of the spouse and children’s country of nationality should be used.
*Example 1: John Doe is a national of Country A that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. however his wife and child are nationals of Country B which has no treaty with the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to derivative status and receive the same reciprocity as John Doe, the principal visa holder.
**Example 2: Mike Doe is a national of Country Y that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. however his wife and child are nationals of Country Z that also has a treaty with the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to derivative status and receive the reciprocity issued to nationals of Country Z.
The validity of H-1 through H-3, O-1 and O-2, P-1 through P-3, and Q visas may not exceed the period of validity of the approved petition or the number of months shown, whichever is less.
Under 8 CFR §214.2, H-2A and H-2B petitions may generally only be approved for nationals of countries that the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated as participating countries. The current list of eligible countries is available on USCIS's website for both H-2A and H-2B visas. Nationals of countries not on this list may be the beneficiary of an approved H-2A or H2-B petition in limited circumstances at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security if specifically named on the petition.
Derivative H-4, L-2, O-3, and P-4 visas, issued to accompanying or following-to-join spouses and children, may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the principal alien.
There is no reciprocity fee for the issuance of a J visa if the alien is a United States Government grantee or a participant in an exchange program sponsored by the United States Government.
Also, there is no reciprocity fee for visa issuance to an accompanying or following-to-join spouse or child (J-2) of an exchange visitor grantee or participant.
In addition, an applicant is eligible for an exemption from the MRV fee if he or she is participating in a State Department, USAID, or other federally funded educational and cultural exchange program (program serial numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7).
However, all other applicants with U.S. Government sponsorships, including other J-visa applicants, are subject to the MRV processing fee.
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian and Mexican nationals coming to engage in certain types of professional employment in the United States may be admitted in a special nonimmigrant category known as the "trade NAFTA" or "TN" category. Their dependents (spouse and children) accompanying or following to join them may be admitted in the "trade dependent" or "TD" category whether or not they possess Canadian or Mexican nationality. Except as noted below, the number of entries, fees and validity for non-Canadian or non-Mexican family members of a TN status holder seeking TD visas should be based on the reciprocity schedule of the TN principal alien.
Since Canadian nationals generally are exempt from visa requirement, a Canadian "TN' or "TD" alien does not require a visa to enter the United States. However, the non-Canadian national dependent of a Canadian "TN", unless otherwise exempt from the visa requirement, must obtain a "TD" visa before attempting to enter the United States. The standard reciprocity fee and validity period for all non-Canadian "TD"s is no fee, issued for multiple entries for a period of 36 months, or for the duration of the principal alien's visa and/or authorized period of stay, whichever is less. See 'NOTE' under Canadian reciprocity schedule regarding applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality.
Mexican nationals are not visa-exempt. Therefore, all Mexican "TN"s and both Mexican and non-Mexican national "TD"s accompanying or following to join them who are not otherwise exempt from the visa requirement (e.g., the Canadian spouse of a Mexican national "TN") must obtain nonimmigrant visas.
Applicants of Iranian, Iraqi, Libyan, Somalian, Sudanese, Syrian or Yemeni nationality, who have a permanent resident or refugee status in Canada/Mexico, may not be accorded Canadian/Mexican reciprocity, even when applying in Canada/Mexico. The reciprocity fee and period for "TD" applicants from Libya is $10.00 for one entry over a period of 3 months. The Iranian and Iraqi "TD" is no fee with one entry over a period of 3 months.
Q-2 (principal) and Q-3 (dependent) visa categories are in existence as a result of the 'Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998'. However, because the Department anticipates that virtually all applicants for this special program will be either Irish or U.K. nationals, the Q-2 and Q-3 categories have been placed only in the reciprocity schedules for those two countries. Q-2 and Q-3 visas are available only at the Embassy in Dublin and the Consulate General in Belfast.
No S visa may be issued without first obtaining the Department's authorization.
V-2 and V-3 status is limited to persons who have not yet attained their 21st birthday. Accordingly, the period of validity of a V-2 or V-3 visa must be limited to expire on or before the applicant's twenty-first birthday.
Posts may not issue a T-1 visa. A T-1 applicant must be physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or a U.S. port of entry, where he/she will apply for an adjustment of status to that of a T-1. The following dependents of a T-1 visa holder, however, may be issued a T visa at a U.S. consular office abroad:
The validity of NATO-5 visas may not exceed the period of validity of the employment contract or 12 months, whichever is less.
The validity of CW-1 and CW-2 visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (12 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.
The validity of E-2C visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (24 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.
If you live in United States, please visit daftar.org – the official website of the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran – for complete list of forms and fees to obtain civil documents.
General Issuing Authority Information:
National Organization for Civil Registration: (sabteahval.ir)
No 184, Imam Khomeini Street, Tehran, Iran
Management: (+9821)66707131-9
Management – Fax: (+9821)66709333
International Relations: (+9821)66746460
Public Relations: (+9821)66709666
Email: un@sabteahval.ir
Available
Fees: Varies
Document Name: Shenasnameh (“Birth certificate” or “identity certificate”)
Issuing Authority: National Organization of Civil Registration
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Booklet – Old versions have a red/burgundy cover, handwritten biodata, and manual signatures and stamps. New versions have a brown cover for adults, photo, digital biodata, and stronger security features; and a dark green cover without photo for minor children under 15.
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.
Registration Criteria: Newborn children; people who are changing their names; people who have lost their original birth certificate; and people who have reached the age of 15 and need to add their photo to the document (if between age 15 and 18, the individual’s parent must apply).
Procedure for Obtaining: For children receiving their first birth certificate, one of the parents or a paternal grandparent must be present and produce a report of the child’s birth from the hospital, along with the parents’ birth certificates. If the parent’s marriage is not registered, both must be present to sign the document. Renewals of old birth certificates or replacements of lost birth certificates are available by applying in person at the registry office. Information and instructions are available online at: https://www.sabteahval.ir/en https://www.sabteahval.ir/en
Certified Copies Available: Not available. If lost then the applicant should apply for a duplicate shenasnameh.
Alternate Documents: There are no alternate documents.
Exceptions: None
Comments: The booklet includes the individual’s name and surname; place and date of birth; gender; unique ID number; parents’ names and places of birth; date and place of issuance; and identifying information of the individual’s spouses and children. The first page includes a summary of the certificate holder’s personal information such as place of birth and parents’ first names and birth certificate numbers. The old and new versions differ in their presentation of information related to marriages and children. The old version presents the spouse’s information on the top half of two facing pages, with the children’s information on the bottom half of the same pages. The new version presents the spouse’s information on two facing pages and the children’s information on a subsequent page. Both versions include a space for notes, death information, and where the registration office records any changes or corrections to the information in the document, such as a legal name change or a correction to the date or place of birth. The new digital version contains the individual's national ID number (also found on the right-hand side of the passport biodata page) and a bar code. It is slightly smaller in size than the old version and has covers and quality reminiscent of passports. The paper has watermarks, high printing quality and the photograph – for individuals over age 15 – is printed directly on the document (whereas the old version has a photo affixed and stamped on the main biodata page). All pages of the document are required for immigrant visa processing.
Available
Fees: Varies
Document Name: Govahiye Fot (Death Certificate)
Issuing Authority: National Organization of Civil Registration
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.
Registration Criteria:
Procedure for Obtaining: Submit the deceased’s national identification card, or number and date of notification of death registration, to the National Organization of Civil Registration.
Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are available
Alternate Documents: An expired birth certificate will have “IS DECEASED” stamped on the pages.
Exceptions: None
Comments: None
Available
Document Name: Sanad-e aghd; Sanad Sanad-e ezdevaj (Marriage Certificate)
Issuing Authority: National Organization of Registration of Documents and Property (Sazman-e Sabt-e Asnad va Amlak-e Keshvar)
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Red/burgundy booklet, off-white pages with handwritten data
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Notary public
Registration Criteria: A notary public (daftar-e asnad-e rasmi) registers divorces and marriages for Muslims and those who practice recognized minority religions (Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism). In addition to marriages and divorces having their own documentation, the information should also be recorded in both parties' shenasnameh (birth certificate) documents.
Procedure for Obtaining: Marriage and divorce certificates can only be obtained by the current/former parties to the marriage. Both parties’ birth certificates, national ID cards, medical reports, and the bride’s father’s birth certificate are required.
Certified Copies: Available
Alternate Documents: Amended identity certificates that indicate an individual’s correct marital status can be obtained. If the original booklet is lost, a handwritten transcript from the registry office may be acceptable (Roonevesht)..
Exceptions: Copies of certificates containing the Bureau’s authentication of the notary’s signature can be obtained if the name and number of the notary registering the marriage or divorce are known. Certificates for marriages and divorces prior to 1921 can be obtained only from ecclesiastical authorities.
Comments: In Tehran, each church of a minority religion has several notaries assigned to it, while there are at least one hundred notaries assigned to record Muslim marriages and divorces. Iran’s Bureau of Affairs Concerning Documents maintains a record of the location, name, number, specimen of signature, and seal of each notary who is expected periodically to advise the Bureau of the number of marriages and divorces that have been registered.
Temporary marriages (sigheh or ezdevaj-e movaghat) are religious marriages that are entered into for a specific period of time. These marriages are performed by ecclesiastical authorities and are not registered with the government. Temporary marriages cannot be used to confer immigration benefits and do not substantiate eligibility for either marriage-based immigrant visa classes or for derivative status of any visa class. Since a temporary marriage would not be valid for immigration purposes, the applicant should be processed for visa purposes as though unmarried. This means a temporary marriage would not disqualify an alien from a K-1 fiancé (e) visa and would not be considered a marriage for determining whether an alien meets the definition of child (under 21 and unmarried). It is important to inquire about temporary marriages when processing adoption cases from Iran, as posts frequently see children born of temporary marriages. While Iranian law considers them to be legitimate children, issues could arise concerning parental consent.
Iran does not recognize the Bahai'i faith as a minority religion, thus the documentation of such marriages differs from Islamic marriages or marriages of other religious minorities. Marriage between two Baha'is is registered in two documents. The first is an ecclesiastical marriage certificate issued by the local spiritual assembly – a booklet with the signatures of the couple, the person officiating the ceremony, and nine witnesses. The second is a one-page document issued by the Department of National Registration and Statistics stating that the couple appeared before one of its officials and provided an oath stating that they are a married couple. Baha'i marriages should be evidenced with both documents, as well as the registration of the union in both parties’ shenasnameh documents. However, when a Baha'i marries a person from any other religion, the identity documents may not indicate the marriage.
Available
Fees: Varies
Document Name: Sanad-e Talagh (Divorce Certificate)
Issuing Authority: National Organization of Registration of Documents and Property (Sazman-e Sabt-e Asnad va Amlak-e Keshvar).
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: White booklet with handwritten data
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.
Registration Criteria: Divorce is permitted on various grounds, including: mental illness; disabilities interfering with conjugal relations; husband’s inability or unwillingness to provide financial support; husband’s bad behavior; husband’s incurable disease constituting risk to the wife; husband’s desertion; husband’s conviction for a dishonorable crime; husband’s infertility or contraction of a sexually transmitted disease; polygamy without consent; and other circumstances where continuation of marriage constitutes proven difficulty or hardship for wife.
Procedure for Obtaining: Apply at local registration office. Two witnesses are required.
Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available.
Alternate Documents: Divorces are recorded in the older version of birth certificates (shenasnameh), but duplicate birth certificates may not include this information. If the original booklet is lost, a handwritten transcript from the registry office may be acceptable.
Exceptions: None
Comments: None
Unavailable
Available
Fees: Varies
Document Name: Kart-e Shenasayi-e Melli; or Kart-e Melli (National Card)
Issuing Authority: National Organization for Civil Registration
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: The card contains a full-face photo (left-aligned), and biodata (right-aligned), including the unique national ID number (different from shenasnameh number), given name, surname, date of birth (Persian calendar), father’s given name, and expiration date.
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.
Registration Criteria: Iranian citizenship, completed application form with photos, and payment of fees.
Procedure for Obtaining: Iranian nationals over the age of 15 apply for the card at any local branch of the National Organization for Civil Registration in Iran. Those living outside of Iran may apply for the card by submitting a special form to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available.
Alternate Documents: The National Card presents information which is also contained on the Birth Certificate, but the latter is more comprehensive. The National Card may corroborate information from the Birth Certificate, but the latter is preferred for identity confirmation.
Exceptions: Children under 15
Comments: The national ID card is not accepted in lieu of the Birth Certificate document.
Available
Comments: Available but unreliable. Police records are not required for immigrant visa applicants because posts cannot verify them. Clean record certificates can be obtained in Iran or from Iranian Embassies and Consulates, and the physical appearance of the certificate changes significantly depending on which authority issued it.
Available
Comments: Available but unreliable. Court and prison documents are not required because posts cannot verify them.
Available
Fees: Varies
Document Name: Kart-e Sarbazi (military card); Kart-e Payan-e Khedmat doreye Zaroorat (service completion card); or Kart-e Mo’afiyat az khedmate doreye zaroorat (exemption card).
Issuing Authority: Iranian Public Conscription Organization (since 1980), under the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NAJA); Imperial Armed Forces (before 1980).
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: All service cards show national ID number, given name, surname, father’s name, date of birth (Persian), dates of service, card issuance date, rank, photo, and contain a chip. Older cards include detailed biographical information such as blood type, hair color, weight, height, eye color, physical defects, and sometimes level of education. Exemption cards show the reason for exemption in the usual place of service dates, and these cards also have a different photo border from service cards.
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.
Registration Criteria: There are no registration criteria.
Procedure for Obtaining: There is no procedure for obtaining.
Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available.
Alternate Documents: For mass exemptions, a copy of the exemption announcement and the birth certificate (proof of their condition) can be provided in lieu of exemption card. Temporary student exemptions may also be substantiated by a letter from the conscription authority and proof of the student’s bond payment to exit Iran.
Exceptions: None
Comments: Military service completion and exemption cards and reliable English translations are readily available in Iran. Although translations tend to be accurate, it is recommended that both the translation and the original card are reviewed.
Types Available (Regular, Diplomatic, Official, etc.):
Fees: Varies
Document Name: Passport of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Gozarnameh-ye Jomhuriye Eslamiye Iran)
Issuing Government Authority: Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Immigration and Passport Police; and Iranian Embassies and Consulates, including the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Burgundy exterior with gold print, including the Iranian Coat of Arms; book is bound on the right side, pages ordered from right to left.
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: There is no issuing authority personnel title.
Registration Criteria: Proof of Iranian citizenship
Procedure for Obtaining: There is no procedure for obtaining.
Alternate Documents: There are no alternate documents.
Exceptions: None
Comments: Iranian men in active military service are generally unable to obtain their passport until completing their service or receiving an exemption to allow their departure from Iran.
Other Documents Available: No other documents available.
Iranian applicants usually provide documents from their bank which show their total account holdings. Check carefully whether this total is listed in Iranian rials or tomans (one toman is ten rials), and check the conversion rate as the total in dollars is often an incorrect. Many applicants also submit titles and deeds to apartments and property. Keep in mind that the parcels and apartments are frequently divided into shares and thus the applicant might only actually own a fraction of the property that the documents state is wholly owned by the applicant.
U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran – ir.usembassy.gov
U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi – ae.usembassy.gov
U.S. Embassy Ankara – tr.usembassy.gov
U.S. Consulate Dubai – ae.usembassy.gov
U.S. Embassy Yerevan – am.usembassy.gov
Please check back for update.
Although care has been taken to ensure the accuracy, completeness and reliability of the information provided, please contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you plan to apply if you believe this information is in error or if you have further questions.
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