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US visitor visa (B1/B2) for South Africans

Embassy visaDifficulty 5 of 5 · Checked17 Oct 2026

South Africans need a B1/B2 visitor visa for the USA. It costs US$185 (about R3,060), needs the online DS-160 form and an interview at the US consulate in Johannesburg or Cape Town, and in September 2026 the next appointments were about 1 to 1.5 months away.

Visa feeUS$185, not refundable
Visa integrity feeUS$250, charged after approval at some consulates
WhereJohannesburg or Cape Town (Durban stopped routine visa services on 1 August 2026)
Wait for an interviewAbout 1 month in Johannesburg and 1.5 months in Cape Town (September 2026)
InterviewRequired for almost everyone, including children and people over 79
ESTANot available: South Africa isn’t in the Visa Waiver Program

Step 1: Fill in the DS-160

The DS-160 is the online application. Keep it consistent with your documents, and keep the confirmation page with its barcode.

Step 2: Pay and book your interview

Pay the US$185 fee online before you book. Then choose Johannesburg or Cape Town. Since 1 August 2026, Durban no longer offers routine visa interviews. Check the State Department’s wait-time tool before choosing.

Step 3: Prepare for the interview

Phones and electronic devices may not be allowed inside. Cape Town and Durban close to the public on Fridays, and Johannesburg on the last Friday of the month.

At the interview

Interviews are short. Answer clearly and honestly, and keep your answers consistent with your DS-160. The officer must be convinced that you’ll return home: your job, family and life in South Africa are what matter.

Renewing a visa

Since 2 September 2025, almost everyone must interview in person. You may still be able to renew without an interview if all of these apply:

  • Your last B1/B2 visa was issued for the full length allowed for your passport, not a shortened one.
  • You apply within 12 months of it expiring.
  • You were 18 or older when it was issued.
  • You apply in your country of nationality or in the country where you live.
  • You’ve never been refused a US visa, unless that refusal was later overcome or waived.
  • Nothing suggests you’re now ineligible for a visa.

Even then, the consulate can still ask you to come in for an interview.

Money: the visa integrity fee

A new US$250 visa integrity fee was approved in 2025. By May 2026 some consulates had started charging it when the visa is approved. It’s meant to be refundable if you follow the visa rules, but the refund process is still being worked out. Check the US embassy’s South African fee page when you apply.

If you’re refused

Most refusals mean the officer wasn’t convinced you’ll return home. There’s no appeal. You can apply again with a new fee once your circumstances are stronger, such as a longer time in your job, more savings or family ties. Applying again straight away with nothing new usually gets the same answer.

For other African passports

Two US rules hit other African passports hard in 2026. The travel ban (in force from 1 January 2026) blocks all visas for Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan, and suspends tourist visas for Angola, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Visa bonds of up to US$20,000 can be required from applicants from 30 African countries, a programme made permanent in August 2026. South Africa is on neither list. Since 1 August 2026, US visa interviews have also moved from 25 African embassies to regional hubs, including Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Sources and checks

Checked17 Oct 2026

Checked on 17 Oct 2026 against the official government or embassy page, plus at least one independent source.

Want the templates?

The visa kit for this guide adds a cover letter template, an employer letter template, a sample itinerary and a refusal checklist.

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