How to Apply for H4 Visa? – Documents Checklist

If you are a H-1B visa holder working in the U.S, you are entitled to bring your immediate dependents, specifically your spouse and children to the U.S on what is known as the H4 visa. The first thing to note is that the H4 visa only covers your spouse and children (under 21 years of age) only and not your parents or siblings.

If you are only just applying for your H-1B visa, and are yet to apply for an interview at the U.S consulate in your home country, it is worth noting that you are better off applying for your spouse’s H4 right away. Attending the interview at the consulate together simplifies the process quite a bit. However, your spouse can apply several months after your arrival in the U.S as well.

The application process for your spouse starts with your spouse applying for a H-4 visa at the U.S consulate in your home country, following which he/she will be subject to an interview. Throughout the rest of this post, you, the holder of the H-1B will be referred to as the principal applicant.

Step 1: File online DS-160 form

Your spouse must file a request for a non-immigrant U.S visa using the online DS-160 form. Once processed, your spouse will be summoned for an interview at the consulate listed on the DS-160 form.

Step 2: Attend the Interview

There are several documents that your spouse will need to carry with him/her to the interview in order to establish marital status and dependency:

H4 Visa Documents Checklist:

  • Your spouse’s valid passport
  • A copy of your (i.e. the principal applicant’s) passport
  • A photograph of your spouse and yourself
  • Confirmation page of the DS-160 form with CEAC bar code.
  • Visa Fees receipt from the relevant bank
  • Copy of the principal applicant’s appointment letter from the employer sponsoring the former’s H-1B
  • Copy of principal applicant’s form I-797
  • A letter from the principal applicant’s employer clearly stating the nature of relationship between the former and the employer
  • Copies of the pay stubs from the principal applicant’s employer
  • Original marriage certificate
  • Original birth certificates of children
  • Consulates often ask for further proof of marriage. Typically these may comprise of any or all of the following, as may be available:
    • A wedding album with several pictures of the wedding showing the principal applicant and the spouse together in many of them
    • Marriage invitation cards
    • Video of the marriage proceedings
    • List of guests invited to the marriage
    • A H4 visa holder is NOT allowed to work in the U.S. This must be clearly understood by your spouse when attending the interview, where the officer will ask you whether he/she will be attempting to take up employment when in the U.S. Your spouse will be denied the visa if the officer feels that your spouse will seek employment once in the U.S.
    • A H4 visa holder is allowed to get a driving license and open and operate bank accounts.
    • A H4 visa holder can also enroll at a U.S university, but he/she cannot take up part time jobs that an F1 visa entitles him/her to.
    • Children under H4 visa do not need an F1 visa to study in U.S schools.
    • While the H4 visa process does not distinguish whether it is the husband or the wife who is applying for the H4 dependency, husbands trying to obtain H4 on their wife’s H-1B often find the process harder, and face many more rejections than wives applying for H4 dependency on H-1B.

Important Facts to Note

  • A H4 visa holder is NOT allowed to work in the U.S. This must be clearly understood by your spouse when attending the interview, where the officer will ask you whether he/she will be attempting to take up employment when in the U.S. Your spouse will be denied the visa if the officer feels that your spouse will seek employment once in the U.S.
  • A H4 visa holder is allowed to get a driving license and open and operate bank accounts.
  • A H4 visa holder can also enroll at a U.S university, but he/she cannot take up part time jobs that an F1 visa entitles him/her to.
  • Children under H4 visa do not need an F1 visa to study in U.S schools.
  • While the H4 visa process does not distinguish whether it is the husband or the wife who is applying for the H4 dependency, husbands trying to obtain H4 on their wife’s H-1B often find the process harder, and face many more rejections than wives applying for H4 dependency on H-1B.

34 Comments on "How to Apply for H4 Visa? – Documents Checklist"

  1. hi, my husband’s h-1b Visa expires on 17th oct, 2018 and i have not yet applied for my h4 visa. however im planning to apply for the H4 visa asap…is there chances for my denial as my husband’s visa is expiring shortly?

  2. Hi, I am a H1B holder and I need my husband to get h4 Visa. Is there a way to get without rejection?

  3. Novie Aaron | May 26, 2017 at 8:07 am | Reply

    Hi!
    My visa as h1b visa here in US will be expired on September 30,2017.Can my husband still applet for h4 visa now?

  4. Hi,

    My husband is changing from F1 0PT to apply for H1-b.(non cap) Can i apply for H4 alongside his application since i am now on f-2 based on his f-1

  5. Hi,
    I am with F1 visa before october & my wife came USA with F2 visa. This year I got H1B & it was activated from 1st November. So, how I transfer my wife VISA status now? I have checked with company, they replied that they will not process F2 file.

    Anyone know what is the process I can follow to transfer their VISA status & what will be her VISA status now since my F1 is not valid anymore? Please let me know if you have any idea on this.

  6. Hi.. I was divorved 5 years back and I was married last year and I moved to US with my husband recently. I have a 9 year old daughter back in India. Her custody is completely with me. We want to bring her with us to US on H4 visa. What are the documents required for taking to chennai consulate? Because my husband is step father, and I’m in US, I’m sending my father to consulate. So please advice what are the documents to be carried in case that I’m not able to come to India for now.

  7. My wife got her Visa status changed from B2 to H4 while being in the US. But now it seems she still needs to go to our home country to do the interview, so she can get the VISA changed in her passport. Does anyone know if this interview is also possible to do in the US?
    Thanks

    • Hello Simon,

      Did you ever find the solution to your question? I am kind of in the same boat and would like to know if I can get my H4 stamping done in the US.
      Let me know your experience.
      Thanks

  8. My husband and son will be applying for H4 visa. The problem is when our child was born , we were not married yet, so the nso birth cert of our son is stated ‘unmarried’. However, I went home and got married with the father of my son so they could finally be with me in the US. Do I need to change again my son’s nso birth cert?
    Thank you very much for your response in advance

  9. Hi,

     

    I am on F1 Visa, Got my H1(i797) approved which will be activated on October 1,2016. 

    My wife  and children are outside of us(dont have have US visa). I want to apply h4 for them. Should they wait till October 1 or they can apply h4 before october?

     

    Thanks in advance 

  10. Hi all,

      I would like to know how can my husband get the H4 visa without being denied for visa. 

  11. I live in India. i got divorced and i have permanent custody rights of my 5 years old girl baby.

    My ex-husband has visitation rights of my daughter. But he already agreed if i have to travel and stay in abroad with my daughter

    permanently or for a longer period, he has no objection. The same has mentioned in the divorce documents.

    Please clarify my below doubts. Please show some lights for me and my child.

    1. If i hold h1b or PR visa, will my child get h4 visa without any consequences.

    2. What are all the required document for h4 for minor of single parent divorcee.

     

    Kindly help.

  12. Do we need to mention the emplyement details for H4 ? since she is already in Medical Leave and we dont have any proff of the leave ?

  13. my wife is applying for h4 visa and I am in the U.S. with h1b visa.

    there is a delay from uscis on sending the original and copy of i797 approved notice, can she attend the visa interview without it?
    she can have he receipt notice and scan of the webpage which says that my h1b is approved.

  14. This statement is no longer valid because of H4 EAD right ? – “A H4 visa holder is NOT allowed to work in the U.S.”
    So is it okay to inform the visa officer of the possible intention to seek employment on H4 EAD ?
    Is this statement above still valid – “Your spouse will be denied the visa if the officer feels that your spouse will seek employment once in the U.S.” ?

    Thanks

  15. @ Meenakshi
    You need not to have ur husband name in your passport.. documents like marriage certificate and marriage photos will be required at the time of interview.

  16. Hello
    I was looking for an answer to my question that who’s name should be written as Principal Applicant in DS 160 form for H4 visa in the travel section of the form? My husband is having H1B visa n i’ll be dependent?
    Thanks in advance

  17. Hi I am soon to be married and I have a doubt. My fiancé is flying down for the wedding only for a short while and we wish to travel back to US together. Is it mandatory to have spouse name included in the passport for applying h4 visa?

  18. Hi, Need some info … I have a copy of my wife’s H4 but original was missing. Is the original I539 required for stamping? (or) my H1B I-797 is enough for stamping? (or) do I need to file I-824 to get a duplicate copy?

    This will be the 2nd stamping for her.

  19. I am currently in H1B in US for almost 1.5 years, I am legally divorced and I would like to apply for my daugther’s H4 Visa.
    She is 4 years old and currently in India.
    This is a special case? Does it requires additional documents?

    • Did you get any reply for your question? If you already know the process by now to get H4 visa for your child being a single divorced parent, can you please share the same?

      Thanks

  20. Hi,

    My H1 petition has been approved and i will be getting and H1 visa in few days.
    I am getting married after the stamping and i want to take my husband to the USA on H4.

    Can you please tell me the documents that will be required for this.
    Also, the address on my passport and my husband’s passport is different. Will this be a problem?
    My marriage certificate has my husband’s address.

  21. naveena gorrepati | April 14, 2015 at 9:41 pm | Reply

    Hi my husband is on h1b1 recently he changed his client and applied for LCA is it mandatory to apply new amendment of h1 according to new rules or can I go for h4 interview with old h1 b1 ……
    Can any one really know information abt it can let us know ….
    We would be really happy for ur suggestions

  22. if a cured tb patient does not mention their tb history will it cause any problem in H4 visa

  23. does a cured tb patient have to face visa denial

  24. Hi,
    I (working in US) and my wife have the spouse names mentioned on our both passports and we have two kids ( 12 yrs and 6 yrs). Is it mandatory to provide marriage certificate for VISA interview ( for H4 visa).

  25. Hi,

    Thank you for the useful post. I think you meant F1 for study visa in a couple of places where you wrote L1

  26. How difficult is it to get H4 for a wife who is a doctor in her home country?

  27. My wife will now be applying for H1B visa for her residency. Do I need to apply with her or will it be applied later once she gets her H1B visa.

  28. You did not mention the link for booking the slot?

  29. Hi,

    My husband is on H1B and I would be attending the H4 interview shortly.

    Could you please confirm if it is mandatory to get my name changed (from maiden to after marriage name)in my passport??

    Thanks in advance
    Priya

    • @Priya
      This is not a compulsory thing. Make sure you have your marriage certificate and other related documents and photographs of your marriage.
      The documents check list can be found at http://h1bwiki.com/how-to-apply-for-h4-visa-documents-checklist/
      Wish you good luck.

      • @H1BWiki :
        I currently have change of status (i797A ) to H1B from OPT . My H1b starts from October 2015 .
        My wife is in India and is planning to attend H4 Visa interview .
        Is it necessary that The principal applicant must have the H1B visa for her to attend the interview ? Or Can she just carry my I797A approval instead of my VISa ?

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