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 join an employer in the United States are eligible for B-1 visas; those accompanying or following to join an employer who is a foreign diplomat or official are eligible for A-3, G-5 or NATO-7 visas, depending on the visa status of their employer. Please refer to the appropriate section on our Visa Types page.

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 to join their United States citizen employer in the United States may be eligible for the B-1 visa classification provided:

• The employer-employee relationship has existed for at least six months prior to the employer's admission to the United States or, alternatively, that the employer has regularly employed a domestic servant in the same capacity while abroad
• The servant-employee has had at least one year experiences as a personal or domestic servant by producing statements from previous employers attesting to such experience;
• The servant-employee will be the only provider of employment, and will provide the employee free room and board and round trip airfare as indicated under the terms of the employment contract.
• The employer ordinarily resides outside the United States and is traveling to the United States temporarily
• The employer is subject to frequent international transfers lasting two years or more and who, as a condition of employment, is going to reside in 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:

• A valid passport 
• DS-160 online application confirmation page
• One photograph taken within the last 6 months
• Proof of payment of Application fee 
• Self-addressed Chronopost envelope
• Original written contract, signed and dated by both domestic 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 American citizens, the contract must also specify that the employer will give at least a two-week notice of intent to terminate the domestic employee and that the employee need not give more than a two-week notice of intent to leave such employment.

Please visit our site How to Apply for information on scheduling an appointment.