US visa with a Vanuatu passport: how to obtain a B1/B2

US visa for a Vanuatu citizen: in brief

In brief: you cannot enter the US on a Vanuatu passport without a visa, and ESTA is not available. A B1/B2 visa is obtained through the DS-160 form, a $185 fee and an interview, and is issued for a single entry and 3 months. If the consular officer approves the visa, a bond may be set, and the E-2 investor visa is not issued to Vanuatu citizens because there is no treaty with the US.

The strengths of the Vanuatu passport lie elsewhere: 46 countries without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival, a processing time of 2-3 months and a route to Europe through Greek residence. For the US, a Vanuatu citizen uses an ordinary visa. An overview of the programme is in the article Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

ESTA and the Visa Waiver Program

In brief: ESTA is only for citizens of countries in the Visa Waiver Program. Vanuatu is not in the programme, so a Vanuatu citizen needs a visa for any trip to the US.

Services offering to obtain an ESTA on a Vanuatu passport charge for something the system does not allow. Visa forms and payments go only through the official State Department websites and Pay.gov.

Applying for a B1/B2 visa

In brief: the B-1 visa covers business trips, the B-2 covers tourism, medical treatment and family visits, and they are usually issued together. The sequence: the DS-160 form, the $185 fee, booking the interview, the interview, a bond if required and visa issuance.

1. DS-160 form. All citizenships and previous visas are declared in full.
2. $185 fee. Paid before booking the interview.
3. Booking. An embassy or consulate in the country of citizenship or residence.
4. Interview. Purpose of the trip, finances and ties to the country of residence.
5. Bond if the officer requires it. Form I-352 and payment via Pay.gov, $5,000-15,000.
6. Visa. Single entry, 3 months’ validity.

The interview is held at a US embassy or consulate in the country of citizenship or residence: the State Department confirmed this rule in July 2026. A Vanuatu citizen living in another country applies where they lawfully reside, with a residence document.

At the interview the consular officer assesses the purpose of the trip, finances and ties to the country of residence: employment, business, family, property and previous travel. Documents on income and residence weigh on the decision more than the choice of passport.

Visa validity and number of entries

In brief: under the State Department reciprocity schedule, a B-1/B-2 visa for Vanuatu citizens is issued without a reciprocity fee, for a single entry and with 3 months’ validity. This means the visa is obtained for a specific trip.

Visa validity and length of stay are different things: the visa shows the date by which you can enter, while the length of stay in the US is set by the border officer on entry. If the trip moves more than 3 months after the visa is issued, the visa has to be obtained again.

If the applicant holds two citizenships, the visa terms depend on the citizenship under which it is issued. So before applying, the reciprocity schedule is checked for each passport and the one that suits the trip best is chosen, with both citizenships declared on the form.

Choosing the passport with dual citizenship

In brief: all citizenships are declared on the form, and the visa is placed in the passport you will travel on. The State Department applies the bond requirement to citizens travelling on a passport of a listed country, and validity and number of entries depend on the reciprocity schedule for that citizenship.

Three things are checked before applying: the reciprocity schedule for each citizenship, the list of countries subject to visa bonds and the country where the applicant lawfully resides. These determine which consulate holds the interview, how long the visa is valid and whether a bond is required.

The travel passport is chosen before buying tickets: you enter the US on the passport that holds the visa.

Visa bond: who it applies to

In brief: Vanuatu is on the list of countries whose citizens are subject to a visa bond. If the consular officer finds the applicant eligible for a B1/B2 visa, a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 is set, with the amount decided at the interview. The requirement applies regardless of where you apply.

The bond is posted only after the officer’s instruction: Form I-352 is completed and payment is made via Pay.gov through a direct link. Third-party payment websites must not be used. The bond can be posted by the applicant or by a third party, such as a relative or business partner, and is refunded to whoever paid it. Payments are in US dollars, and any exchange rate difference is borne by the payer.

A bond does not guarantee the visa. Fees paid without the officer’s instruction are not refunded. A holder of a bonded visa enters and leaves only through designated commercial airports, including preclearance locations.

Documents for the interview

In brief: bring your passport, the DS-160 and appointment confirmations, a photo meeting the requirements and documents showing the purpose of the trip, finances and ties to the country of residence.

• Mandatory. A valid passport, the DS-160 confirmation page, the appointment and fee payment confirmations.
• Residence. A residence permit or other proof of lawful residence in the country of application.
• Work and income. An employment letter or company documents, bank statements, tax returns.
• Ties to the country. Documents on family, property, children’s schooling, long-term contracts.
• Purpose of the trip. A travel plan, bookings, a conference invitation or a letter from a US partner for a business trip.
• Travel history. Previous passports with visas and stamps.

The officer decides on the interview answers and the form, and documents help confirm what was said. Documents that contradict the form do more harm than having none.

Documents are prepared in English or with a translation, originals are brought along and copies are arranged in the order of the form’s questions. If a relative or a company pays for the trip, bring a sponsor letter and proof of the sponsor’s income.

B-1 business visa: permitted purposes

In brief: the B-1 visa covers negotiations, partner meetings, conferences, trade fairs and signing contracts. Employment in the US and being paid by a US company are not covered by a B-1 visa.

For an entrepreneur with Vanuatu citizenship this means business trips to the US are possible on a B1/B2 visa, while running a business in the US requires a different visa. If the plan involves investing in and working at your own company in the US, an E-2 visa through the citizenship of a treaty country or other immigration categories are considered.

Visa refusal and reapplying

In brief: most B1/B2 refusals are under section 214(b): the officer was not satisfied that the applicant will return from the US. There is no appeal against such a decision; you can reapply when circumstances have changed or new documents are available.

Before reapplying, review what the form and interview showed: weak ties to the country of residence, an unclear purpose of travel, contradictions in the documents. A new application requires a new form and a new $185 fee. A US visa refusal is declared on all later visa forms and on citizenship programme forms, including a Vanuatu citizenship application.

Family travel and transit through the US

In brief: each family member, including children, completes their own DS-160 and receives their own visa, and the $185 fee is paid per applicant. A connection at a US airport requires a C-1 transit visa, which for Vanuatu citizens is issued for a single entry and 3 months.

Family forms are completed consistently: the same travel dates, address of stay and details of who pays for the trip. If the officer sets a bond, the requirement applies to each applicant travelling on a passport of a listed country, so the family budget for a possible bond is calculated per traveller.

Connections in the US on flights to Latin America or the Caribbean are planned around the transit visa validity. If you do not want a C-1 visa, choose flights connecting in other countries.

E-2 investor visa: no treaty with Vanuatu

In brief: E-1 and E-2 visas are issued to citizens of countries that have a treaty with the US. The reciprocity schedule for Vanuatu shows no treaty for E-1 and E-2, so Vanuatu citizenship does not lead to an E-2 visa.

For an E-2 visa, citizenship of a treaty country is considered, for example Grenada or Turkey. For those who obtained treaty-country citizenship by investment, US law requires at least 3 years of residence in that country before applying for an E-2. The two options are compared in the article Grenada or Turkey, and the conditions are in the article the E-2 visa through Grenada citizenship.

If the family’s goal is the US rather than speed and mobility, the programme is chosen for that goal from the start. In such a strategy Vanuatu citizenship can remain a fast second passport, but it does not replace a treaty country.

Dual citizenship and the DS-160 form

In brief: the DS-160 declares all citizenships, previous visas and refusals. A hidden citizenship or refusal creates a contradiction that leads to refusal more often than the passport itself.

• Citizenships. All of them, including Vanuatu, with passport numbers.
• Previous US visas. Visa dates and numbers, 214(b) refusals with dates.
• Travel. Countries visited in recent years as the form requires.
• Residence. Address and proof of lawful residence in the country of application.

The form data is checked against the passport used for the visa and against the income documents. Different spellings of the name in two passports are explained in advance. Name spelling is covered in the article the name in a Vanuatu passport.

Trips the Vanuatu passport works for

In brief: a Vanuatu passport opens 46 countries without a visa, another 42 give a visa on arrival and 3 admit travellers with an electronic authorisation. The US, Canada, Australia, the UK and the Schengen area require a visa.

For an entrepreneur working with Asia, the key points are Hong Kong for 90 days and Singapore and Malaysia for 30 days, while trips to the UAE use a 30-day eVisa. The Caribbean and part of Latin America are open for up to 180 days. Business destinations are covered in the articles the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong with a Vanuatu passport and visa-free countries in Asia.

For Europe, families use Vanuatu citizenship as a step towards Greek residence. The destination list is in the article visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport, the document’s place in the indices in the Vanuatu passport in the rankings, and the British visa in entering the UK with a Vanuatu passport.

The Vanuatu passport and the route to Europe

In brief: a Vanuatu citizen needs a visa for the Schengen area: the EU fully suspended visa-free travel from 4 February 2023, and since 3 February 2025 Vanuatu has been on the visa-required list. Vanuatu citizens start living in Europe through Greek residence, which allows travel across Schengen for up to 90 days in any 180.

Greek residence is obtained by buying property with a threshold of €250,000 to €800,000. The application includes a spouse, children and parents, and living in Greece permanently is not required to keep the card. The all-in package of Vanuatu citizenship and Greek residence takes up to 9 months, with documents prepared for both applications at once.

Greek residence does not replace a US visa, but if the family lives in Greece the card serves as proof of lawful residence when applying for a B1/B2 in the country of residence. The terms are on the page Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens.

Timeline and cost of Vanuatu citizenship

In brief: a Vanuatu passport takes roughly 2-3 months without relocation. The DSP contribution starts at $130,000, and the CIIP fund is $157,000 for a family of up to four, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years.

The process is short: pre-screening in 1-2 business days, the FIU check in up to 7 business days without queries, the Commission meeting held twice a month, then the contribution, the oath and passport issuance in 1-3 weeks. On top of the contribution, the only government charge is the FIU fee: $5,000 under DSP and $8,000 under the fund per application. DSP suits a single applicant or a couple better, the fund suits a family of three or more.

A US visa on the new passport is planned after it is issued, and trips in the meantime are made on the passport of your first citizenship if its visa terms suit. The exact amount for your family is shown by the quote for your family, and how we work is described on the page support under the Vanuatu programme.

Checklist before applying for a US visa

In brief: before applying, choose the passport and the country of application, gather residence and income documents and budget for a possible bond.

• The country of application is the country of citizenship or lawful residence.
• Visa terms are checked in the reciprocity schedule for each citizenship.
• The DS-160 declares all citizenships, previous visas and refusals.
• The $185 fee is paid through the official channel.
• Documents on work, income, residence and family are ready for the interview.
• Funds for a possible bond of up to $15,000 are available.
• Travel dates fit within the 3-month visa validity.
• Tickets route through designated commercial airports if a bond is set.

How BRIDGES helps with a US visa

In brief: BRIDGES matches the programme to the client’s goal: if the main aim is the US, we say so before signing and consider E-2 treaty countries. If the aim is a fast second passport and a route to Europe, we handle the Vanuatu citizenship application and plan the residence permit.

For clients with Vanuatu citizenship we help prepare interview documents and check visa terms for each citizenship. Practical travel advice is in the article how to travel on a Vanuatu passport, and the article is Vanuatu citizenship worth it will help you decide on the programme.