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Visa Types

Domestic Employees

This category of persons includes, but is not limited to, cooks,butlers, chauffeurs, housemaids, valets, nannies, au pair, mothers' helpers, gardeners, and personal assistants.

Personal or domestic servants who are accompanying or following to joinan employer in the United States are eligible for B-1 visas; thoseaccompanying or following to join an employer who is a foreign diplomator official are eligible for A-3, G-5 or NATO-7 visas, depending on thevisa status of their employer. Please refer to the appropriate sectionfor further information.

Accompanying a Non-Immigrant Visa Holder

Personal or domestic servants who are accompanying or following tojoin an employer who seeks admission to, or who is already in theUnited States in B, E, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, Q, or R nonimmigrantstatus may be eligible for the B-1 visa classification provided:

  • The servant-employee has been employed outsidethe United States by the servant-employer for at least one year priorto the date of the employer's admission to the United States, or if theemployer-employee relationship existed immediately prior to the time ofapplication, the employer can demonstrate that he has regularlyemployed (either year-round or seasonally) domestic help over a periodof years preceding the time of application
  • Theservant-employee has at least one year's experience as a personal ordomestic servant as attested to by statements from previous employers;
  • Theservant-employer will be the only provider of employment, and willprovide the employee free room and board and round trip airfare asindicated under the terms of the employment contract

Accompanying a Visa Holder Representing a Foreign Government Agency

  • If the employer holds an A1 or A2 visa, the employee may apply for an A-3 visa
  • If the employer holds a G visa, the employee may apply for a G-5 visa.

The US Embassy in Paris accepts visa applications for domestic employees of diplomats accredited to France.

Accompanying an American Citizen

Personal or domestic servants who are accompanying or following tojoin their United States citizen employer in the United States may beeligible for the B-1 visa classification provided:

  • The employer-employee relationship has existed for at leastsix months prior to the employer's admission to the United States or,alternatively, that the employer has regularly employed a domesticservant in the same capacity while abroad
  • Theservant-employee has had at least one year experiences as a personal ordomestic servant by producing statements from previous employersattesting to such experience;
  • The servant-employee willbe the only provider of employment, and will provide the employee freeroom and board and round trip airfare as indicated under the terms ofthe employment contract.
  • The employer ordinarily resides outside the United States and is traveling to the United States temporarily
  • Theemployer is subject to frequent international transfers lasting twoyears or more and who, as a condition of employment, is going to residein the United States for a stay not to exceed four years.

Note: It is not possible to qualify for a B-1 visa if the United States citizen-employer will reside permanently in the United States, even if the individual concerned has previously been in the United States citizen's employ abroad.

Application Procedure

Please bring the following documents to your visa interview:

  • Passport
  • One photograph
  • Form DS-156 Application form
  • Form DS-157
  • Application fee receipt (except for A and G visa applicants)
  • Chronopost envelope, completed with destination address
  • Original written contract, signed and dated by both employee and employer which guarantees the minimum or prevailing wage, whichever is higher, for an eight hour workday, and any other benefits normally required for United States domestic workers in the area of employment.
  • In the case of those who are accompanying US citizens, the contract must also specify that the employer give at least two weeks notice of intent to terminate the employment and that the employee need not give more than two weeks notice of intent to leave such employment.