US Visas for Children and Infants

Traveling to the US as a family means every member of that family — including infants — needs an approved visa of their own. This guide covers how the process works for children specifically, what changed with a 2025 policy update, and what actually strengthens a child’s application.

Key Facts

• Age exemption: none — every child, including infants, needs an approved visa
• Interview requirement (since September 2025): in-person, for applicants of every age
• Mail-in exception: effectively unavailable for children, since it only applies to renewals where the prior visa was issued at 18+
• Fee: $185 per child, same as an adult B1/B2 application
• Who attends the interview: a parent, together with the child
• What strengthens the file: the parents’ own visa history and prior family travel together

Every Child Needs Their Own Visa

For a family planning US travel, each child — regardless of age — needs an approved US visa to enter the country. There’s no infant or minor exemption. How well a child’s application file is prepared, and how consistent it is with the parents’ own applications, directly affects the odds of approval.

The 2025 Interview Rule Change

Before a September 2025 update, children under 14 could complete their visa application entirely by mail, without a consular interview. That’s no longer the case. As of the update, an in-person interview at the consulate is required for every applicant, regardless of age — including babies who obviously can’t be interviewed themselves.

In practice, this means a parent attends the interview together with the child, and the case is presented and answered on the child’s behalf during that same appointment.

The one narrow exception is a visa renewal, which can sometimes proceed without a new interview — but only for an applicant whose previous visa was issued when they were already 18 or older. Since a child’s first visa is necessarily obtained before turning 18, this exception generally doesn’t apply to children’s renewals in practice; expect an interview requirement either way.

What Does a Child’s US Visa Cost?

Regardless of age, the same $185 B1/B2 application fee applies for tourism or family-visit purposes. Payment has to be completed online — through a MasterCard-network card — before an appointment can be booked.

How to Apply for a Child’s US Visa

Completing the DS-160 Form

Start with the official DS-160 form, filled out entirely in English with the child’s own information, including an uploaded biometric photo. Review every field carefully before submitting — errors or omissions here are a common cause of delays.

Paying the Fee and Booking an Appointment

Once the DS-160 is submitted, use the confirmation number to create an account on USTravelDocs, pay the $185 fee, and select an appointment date.

Attending the Interview

On the appointment date, attend the visa interview together with your child. The interview usually takes under 5 minutes, and the outcome — approval or denial — is typically communicated on the spot.

Documents to Bring

• The DS-160 confirmation page printout
• The child’s passport, valid at least 6 months beyond the planned stay
• The appointment confirmation printout
• The child’s biometric photo

If a missing document means you can’t be admitted to the consulate, the appointment can be lost entirely — double-check everything beforehand. If someone other than a parent is attending with the child, official guardianship documentation is also required.

Depending on the child’s and family’s specific situation, additional documents — a school enrollment letter, or evidence of financial sponsorship — may strengthen the file further.

What Actually Strengthens a Child’s Application

A few factors specific to children’s applications are worth knowing, especially for teenagers:

• If your child is applying for university or high school-related travel and has previously traveled internationally with you, that travel history works in the application’s favor.
• If you hold a valid US visa and have actually used it — evidenced by prior entry stamps or travel records — bringing that proof to the interview helps, since officers assess the family’s travel pattern as a whole.
• For a child whose parents don’t currently hold US visas, the application needs to independently and clearly establish why the child specifically is traveling, and why alone if that’s the case.
• If you, as a parent, have previously overstayed or otherwise violated the terms of a US visa, that history can create real risk for your child’s application too — a professional case review before the interview is worth doing if this applies to you.

Children of US Citizen or Green Card Holder Parents

A child whose parent is a US citizen or Green Card holder can still apply for a separate, short-term nonimmigrant visa — for instance, to visit that parent and return home afterward. These applications specifically need strong, clear evidence that the child will return to Turkey, since the family connection to a US citizen or resident parent raises additional questions about long-term intent that the application needs to directly address.

Beyond all of the above, the same fundamentals apply as with any US visa application — a form filled out accurately and consistently with your actual travel purpose, complete documentation, and preparation for the questions likely to come up in the interview.

Get Support With Your Child’s US Visa Application

If you’d like support managing your child’s or baby’s US visa application — from the DS-160 through the interview — reach out to us and we’ll help you through the full process.