United States changes visa rules and fees for Slovaks

The US Embassy in Slovakia stated in an announcement that its country’s visa regime works according to the principle of reciprocity and noted that after several years of negotiations, the Slovak government has failed to modify the visa validity for Americans working in Slovakia beyond the current limit of two years.

Currently, Slovaks working temporarily in the United States in the H, L, O, P, and R categories receive visas valid for five years. Based on this lack of reciprocity, the US government has reduced the validity of the H, L, O, P, and R non-immigrant visa categories for Slovaks from the current 60 months with multiple entries, to 24 months with multiple entries, effective immediately.

A $60 reciprocity fee, payable at the US Embassy at the time of the interview for a US visa, will also be added, the embassy wrote, in order to bring the two countries’ fees into a more reciprocal relationship.