Supporting Documents

For Private Visitors or Tourists

Persons traveling privately to the U.S. as a visitor or tourist are not required to present any documents other than the DS-156, DS-157 application forms, the yellow receipt from Unionbank, passport and correct photograph. However, persons traveling privately to the U.S. as a visitor or tourist may choose to bring any other documents that seem helpful in  provide the following items to demonstrating their ties to Bulgaria and their intent to return after a short stay in the United States.

Some applicants have brought:

• Letters of invitation fromfriends or relatives living in the U.S. whom they intend to visit. If applying for a visa to visit a friend, relative or business associate in the United States (American citizen, green card holder or foreign citizen with legal visa status in the United States), applicants  may bring a copy of a document showing that person's immigration status in the United States, as well as that of any other close relatives who are in the United States (e.g., photocopy of U.S. passport, green card, other type of visa, etc.).

• Applicants can present any additional documents they wish in order to support their claim that they will return home after a temporary visit to the United States (such as proof of ownership of property, bank statements, proof of employment, proof of family ties, etc.) Legible photocopies may be submitted in place of original documents. Please be aware that there are no particular documents that automatically confer eligibility to receive a nonimmigrant visa. Each application must be evaluated individually, and it is the visa applicant, not the person(s) inviting him or her to the United States, who must establish clear nonimmigrant intent on his or her own behalf by demonstrating strong family, employment, property, economic, social and/or other ties to a permanent residence in Bulgaria.

• Copies of Birth certificate(s) of applicant(s) and of their children, if any.

• Any applicant under the age of 18 who is not traveling with both parents must comply with the following requirements:

1. A person under the age of 18 must submit a notarized declaration signed by both parents (or the one parent not accompanying the child on travel to the United States), which states the parent(s) not traveling give(s) permission for the child to travel to the United States, when and for how long. The declaration may not be older than six months at the date of the application. The declaration must be accompanied by the applicant's birth certificate and copies of the parents' Bulgarian identity documents and international passports (if any). The original notarized declaration will be kept for consular records. If an original is required for use at the airport or with other authorities, parents must obtain duplicate originals.

2. If one parent has sole custody due to a divorce decree or the death of the other parent, copies of court documents stating this must be provided.

3. If a person other than a parent has legal custody of the minor, copies of court documents stating this must be provided.

4. If both parents are outside Bulgaria or for other reasons have a different adult providing custody for the minor in Bulgaria, an original notarized power-of-attorney signed by both parents authorizing the third-party adult to make decisions regarding the minor child’s welfare must be presented.

All of the documents described above may be in Bulgarian. Translations into English are not required.