The US visitor visa (B1/B2) costs $185 USD per applicant. This page is for the person who books it, often a son or daughter in the United States arranging a visit for parents in Guatemala. It follows the process as the US Embassy in Guatemala’s appointment system describes it (ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gt/niv), checked on October 21, 2026. For the invitation letter question, see our page on the invitation letter for your parents’ visitor visa; for current interview waits, see US visa interview wait in Guatemala City.

Quick summary: The B1/B2 visitor visa (business, tourism, medical treatment) has a $185 USD fee per applicant, children included. It is not refunded if the visa is refused, not transferable to another person or country, and expires 365 days after payment. The order is DS-160 on ceac.state.gov, then an account on the appointment system, payment (credit card, or cash at 148 points in all 22 departments), appointment, interview. The DS-160 code (starts with AA) must match the one in the appointment profile or there is no interview. For Guatemalans, the reciprocity table allows up to 120 months with multiple entries, no issuance fee.

What it costs

The fee page of the appointment system for Guatemala publishes four levels. The visitor visa is the first:

MRV feeVisa types (as listed on the fee page)
$185 USD(B) Visitor: Business, Tourism, Medical Treatment · (C) transit · (D) crew · (F) academic student · (M) vocational student · (I) media · (J) exchange visitor · (TD/TN) · (T) · (U)
$205 USD(H) temporary worker · (O) · (P) · (Q) · (R) religious worker · (L)
$315 USD(E1) · (E2) · (E3)
$265 USD(K) fiancé(e) or spouse of a US citizen

Source: Visa fees, US Embassy Guatemala appointment system, checked October 21, 2026.

The fee terms, from the same page:

  • “All visa applicants, including children, are required to pay a non-refundable and non-transferable nonimmigrant visa (MRV) application fee”
  • It is good for one application only. If the visa is refused, a new application and a new fee are needed to apply again.
  • “Visa application fees are valid for use for 365 days from date of purchase”
  • Paid for Guatemala, it cannot be used to schedule in another country. Rescheduling within Guatemala is possible without paying again.
  • The system’s FAQ adds that the appointment must be scheduled within the year, but the appointment date itself may extend past it.

Other fees. The fee page names two kinds of additional fees: the SEVIS fee (students and exchange visitors) and a reciprocity (issuance) fee that depends on nationality and visa type. For Guatemalan B-1, B-2 and B-1/B-2 visas, the State Department’s reciprocity table lists the issuance fee as None. The status of the separate visa integrity fee is covered on our visa wait page.

Paid expedite. The system’s FAQ describes a Paid Expedite option for B visas: an additional US $750 per applicant for an appointment within the next 10 business days, on top of the MRV fee, non-refundable, and with no guarantee of a visa. The FAQ says this option is only available in certain countries and is not displayed where it is not available. Your relative must already have a regular appointment scheduled to see it.

Where to pay

The fee page lists two methods for Guatemala: cash and credit card. The appointment system says to pay using a method available in the country where the applicant resides. For cash, the steps are:

  1. Create a user account on the appointment site.
  2. Add the applicant information to complete the registration.
  3. Continue to the payment page and select Pay by Cash.
  4. Download, print and follow the cash payment instruction sheet.

Two official notes before the bank trip: once a cash payment is made, “it can take up to 2 business days for it to register in this system”, and only then can the appointment be scheduled. The cash payment slip can be used for only one transaction.

The cash points. The fee page links an official list of cash payment locations. The file downloaded on October 21, 2026 contains:

Cash payment points148
Departments coveredAll 22
Banco Cuscatlán branches46
Monolit points14
Airpak offices3
Departments with the most pointsGuatemala (35), Quetzaltenango (18), Chiquimula (10)

Each row has the address and opening hours for weekdays, Saturday and Sunday. Download the current list from the fee page before sending your relative: locations change.

The steps, in the right order

The appointment system describes the process this way:

  1. Complete the DS-160 at ceac.state.gov/CEAC. It is a US government form and can only be completed there. Each applicant needs his or her own.
  2. Create the account on the appointment system and add the applicant information. The system’s FAQ says the account email is the login ID and receives all notifications, so use an email you will both check.
  3. Enter the DS-160 confirmation number for each applicant.
  4. Choose where to receive the documents from the Consular Section.
  5. Pay the fee (credit card or cash).
  6. Schedule the appointment at the Consular Section.
  7. Attend the interview and follow the delivery instructions.

Where to apply. An appointment-system announcement of September 6, 2025 says applicants “should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of residence or nationality”. For parents who live in Guatemala, that is the Embassy in Guatemala City.

When appointments open. The Embassy announced that, beginning January 27, 2025, it releases new nonimmigrant appointment capacity (if available) every Monday between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon local time, except US and Guatemalan holidays. Applicants with an existing appointment can log in to request an earlier one.

The AA code trap

The DS-160 confirmation number (the barcode that starts with AA) must be the same one entered in the appointment system. The Embassy’s announcement: “Starting May 1, 2025, all visa applicants must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA) that matches the one used to make their appointment online.”

If an incomplete, wrong or fictitious number was entered, it must be updated at least six business days before the appointment, without canceling it: in the Applicant Summary page, the settings icon, then Edit, then the DS-160 Number field, then Save. An applicant who shows up with a barcode that does not match will not be able to attend the interview. Applicants whose fee is more than 365 days old and who did not update the barcode in time must pay the fee again. Two more details from an earlier notice: the number can be updated only one time, and applicants who booked through a third party or visa processor are responsible for asking that processor to correct it.

If you fill in the DS-160 for your parents from the US, check the AA number against the appointment profile before you close the browser.

The documents

Required for all visa types, according to the appointment system:

  • Current passport valid for travel to the US, valid at least six months beyond the period of stay (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). The Guatemalan passport process is on our passport page.
  • The passport with the most recent US visa, if any.
  • The DS-160 confirmation page.
  • The confirmation and instructions page printed from the appointment system.
  • One 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inch) color photo taken within the last 6 months.

For the B visa, extra documents are listed only for medical treatment (a local physician’s diagnosis, a letter from the US physician or facility with the projected length and cost of treatment, and proof of how expenses will be paid). The page also says evidence of employment and/or family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of the trip and the intent to return. If you are paying for the trip, our invitation letter page explains where your support fits.

How long the visa lasts for Guatemalans

VisaIssuance feeEntriesMaximum validity
B-1NoneMultiple120 months
B-2NoneMultiple120 months
B-1/B-2NoneMultiple120 months

Source: State Department reciprocity table for Guatemala, read through the Internet Archive copy of July 1, 2026 (travel.state.gov blocks scripted requests). This is the maximum: the consular officer can issue a visa for less time or fewer entries.

Renewing without an interview

The appointment system describes a Renewal Interview Waiver process and says eligibility is determined by the answers given while scheduling. Officers can still require an interview from anyone. In general, the requirements include some or all of these:

  • Renewing a B-1, B-2 or B-1/B-2 visa that is still current or expired within the past 12 months, and having been at least 18 when the previous visa was issued.
  • Applying in the consular district of residence.
  • All 10 fingerprints taken when the last visa was issued.
  • The previous visa was not lost, stolen or revoked.
  • Never refused, unless the refusal was overcome or waived.

The FAQ adds that if no qualifying statements appear while scheduling, either the applicant does not qualify or the waiver option is not currently available at that Consular Section.

If the visa is refused

According to the appointment system, a refusal letter marked 214(b) will generally explain that the applicant does not qualify at this time; to reapply, the applicant needs a new application, a new fee and a new interview, and should show how circumstances have changed. A letter marked 221(g) lists additional steps to complete; the applicant does not have to pay the fee again. Administrative processing is also marked 221(g) and may delay the decision.

Sources

All checked October 21, 2026. General information; the consular officer decides every case.