Skip to content
WE LIVE IN USA
RaccoMy list
All guides ＋
My products
WEWELIVEINUSAVisa
Menu
中文

Explore visasDS-160Overview

NATO-1 to NATO-7NATO representatives, officials and staff

For representatives of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, NATO officials and experts, members of NATO member countries' armed forces and their civilian staff, their families, and their personal employees.

At a glance

How you apply
Through your government or NATO. With limited exceptions, a consular officer issues a NATO visa only after receiving a note from the appropriate foreign office, mission or NATO authority. The interview is normally waived for genuine NATO-1 to NATO-6 applicants who are citizens of, or on assignment to, the country where they apply, but the visa application itself is not waived. NATO-7 applicants must always be interviewed
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1]
How long you can stay
NATO-1 to NATO-5: normally exempt from inspection on arrival. NATO-6: may be admitted for duration of status (D/S). NATO-7: up to 3 years at first, then extensions of up to 2 years at a time; each extension request needs a statement signed by your employing official saying they intend to keep employing you, describing your work, and confirming that this is, and will be, your only employment
Checked Oct 18, 2026[2]
Can family come
Yes. NATO-1, NATO-3, NATO-4 and NATO-7, and NATO-2 for representatives of member states, include immediate family, who receive the same classification as the principal: a spouse and unmarried sons and daughters under 21, or under 23 if studying full time at a post-secondary school, who reside regularly in your household and are not members of another household, plus certain other household members recognized by the sending government and individually authorized by the State Department. NATO-5, NATO-6 and NATO-2 for members of a force include dependents as the NATO agreements define them: a spouse, or a child who depends on the member for support. See Family High confidence
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1,3]
Can you work
NATO-1 to NATO-6 principals: 8 CFR 274a.12 says you may be employed only by NATO, and work outside the scope of your official position may be considered a violation of your status. NATO-7: only for the NATO principal through whom you got your status. Dependents of NATO-1 to NATO-6 principals assigned to official duty in the United States can work only under a formal bilateral employment agreement or an informal de facto reciprocal arrangement, after a favorable recommendation by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic (SACLANT) and with employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). See Family High confidence
Checked Oct 18, 2026[2,4]
Visa fee
No visa application fee for NATO-1 to NATO-7 applicants. A visa issuance (reciprocity) fee may apply, depending on the reciprocity schedule; see Fees. Amounts and exemptions from 22 CFR 22.1 (eCFR current as of Oct. 1, 2026) High confidence
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1,5]

What NATO visas are

NATO visas are nonimmigrant (temporary) visas that help certain representatives, officials and employees of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and of NATO member countries travel to the United States under various NATO agreements, including military members (armed service personnel and civilians). The State Department's classification table (22 CFR 41.12) lists seven NATO visa symbols, NATO1 to NATO7, and 22 CFR 41.25 sets out how applicants are classified under them.[1,6,7]

Official NATO visa symbols, from 22 CFR 41.12 (eCFR current as of Oct. 1, 2026)
SymbolClassSection of law
NATO1Principal Permanent Representative of Member State to NATO (including any of its Subsidiary Bodies) Resident in the U.S. and Resident Members of Official Staff; Secretary General, Assistant Secretaries General, and Executive Secretary of NATO; Other Permanent NATO Officials of Similar Rank, or Immediate FamilyArt. 12, 5 UST 1094; Art. 20, 5 UST 1098
NATO2Other Representative of Member State to NATO (including any of its Subsidiary Bodies) including Representatives, Advisers, and Technical Experts of Delegations, or Immediate Family; Dependents of Member of a Force Entering in Accordance with the Provisions of the NATO Status-of-Forces Agreement or in Accordance with the provisions of the “Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters”; Members of Such a Force if Issued VisasArt. 13, 5 UST 1094; Art. 1, 4 UST 1794; Art. 3, 4 UST 1796
NATO3Official Clerical Staff Accompanying Representative of Member State to NATO (including any of its Subsidiary Bodies), or Immediate FamilyArt. 14, 5 UST 1096
NATO4Official of NATO (Other Than Those Classifiable as NATO1), or Immediate FamilyArt. 18, 5 UST 1098
NATO5Experts, Other Than NATO Officials Classifiable Under NATO4, Employed in Missions on Behalf of NATO, and their DependentsArt. 21, 5 UST 1100
NATO6Member of a Civilian Component Accompanying a Force Entering in Accordance with the Provisions of the NATO Status-of-Forces Agreement; Member of a Civilian Component Attached to or Employed by an Allied Headquarters Under the “Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters” Set Up Pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty; and their DependentsArt. 1, 4 UST 1794; Art. 3, 5 UST 877
NATO7Attendant, Servant, or Personal Employee of NATO1, NATO2, NATO 3, NATO4, NATO5, and NATO6 Classes, or Immediate FamilyArts. 12-20, 5 UST 1094-1098
Checked Oct 18, 2026[6]

Who qualifies

  • NATO-1 to NATO-5: you are classified under one of these symbols if the consular officer is satisfied that you are seeking admission under the applicable provision of the Agreement on the Status of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, National Representatives and International Staff (the Ottawa Agreement), or that you are an immediate family member of someone classified NATO-1 to NATO-5. In State Department guidance, NATO-1 is for a member state's Principal Permanent Representative to NATO who will be on assignment and resident in the United States, the members of the official staff of that member state to NATO, and the Secretary General, Assistant Secretaries General, Executive Secretary and other NATO officials of similar rank; NATO-2 for other representatives of member states, including representatives, advisers and technical experts of delegations traveling to the United States temporarily; NATO-3 for official clerical staff accompanying a representative; NATO-4 for NATO officials not classifiable NATO-1, such as NATO officials traveling temporarily to the United States; and NATO-5 for experts, other than NATO officials classifiable NATO-4, who are employed in missions on behalf of NATO.[1,7]
  • Military forces and their civilian staff (NATO-2 and NATO-6). Armed services personnel of a NATO member country who qualify as members of a "force" under the Agreement Between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces (NATO Status of Forces Agreement, or NATO SOFA) or the Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters (Paris Protocol) are exempt from the passport and visa requirements, but may choose to apply for a visa; if one is issued, it is NATO-2. Their dependents need NATO visas and are classified NATO-2. Under the NATO SOFA, a force means the personnel belonging to the land, sea or air armed services of one party when in the territory of another party in the North Atlantic Treaty area in connection with their official duties, although the two countries concerned may agree that certain individuals, units or formations are not part of a force. Civilian staff are NATO-6: members of a civilian component accompanying a force entering under the NATO SOFA, or attached to or employed by an Allied Headquarters under the Paris Protocol, and their dependents. Under the NATO SOFA, a civilian component means civilian personnel accompanying a force who are employed by an armed service of that country and who are not stateless, not nationals of a country that is not a party to the North Atlantic Treaty, and not nationals of, or ordinarily resident in, the country where the force is located.[1,7]

The request note, passport and fingerprints

With limited exceptions, the consular officer needs a note from your government's foreign office or mission, or from the NATO authority. It must give the principal applicant's name and date of birth, position and title, place of assignment or visit, purpose of travel, a brief description of duties, travel date, anticipated length of stay or tour of duty in the United States, and the names, relationships and dates of birth of any dependents and other household members who will accompany or join the principal. In an emergency, the officer may issue a visa on the oral request of a competent foreign authority or NATO, and then asks for written confirmation. NATO-1 to NATO-6 applicants are exempt from the fingerprint requirement. If the passport requirement has not been waived for you, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4 and NATO-6 applicants may present a passport that is valid only long enough to apply for admission at a port of entry before it expires.[1,3]

Family

NATO-1, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-7, and NATO-2 for representatives of member states, include immediate family. Immediate family means: a spouse who resides regularly in the principal's household and is not a member of some other household; unmarried sons and daughters, by blood or adoption, who reside regularly in the household, are not members of some other household, and are under 21, or under 23 and in full-time attendance at a post-secondary educational institution; and other individuals who reside regularly in the household, are not members of some other household, are recognized as the principal's dependents by the sending government or international organization (shown, for example, by a diplomatic or official passport, or travel or other allowances) and are individually authorized by the State Department. NATO-5, NATO-6, and NATO-2 for members of a force, use the NATO agreements' definition of a dependent instead: the spouse of a member of a force or civilian component, or a child of the member who depends on them for support. Immediate family members and dependents are eligible for NATO visas even if they are citizens of a country that is not a NATO member, and even if the principal is not issued a visa because they are exempt from the visa requirement.[1,3]

A dependent of a NATO-1 to NATO-6 principal assigned to official duty in the United States may work only under a formal bilateral employment agreement or an informal de facto reciprocal arrangement. Whether one applies depends on the NATO member state that employs the principal, not on the nationality of the principal or the dependent; under a de facto arrangement, the principal must also be a national of that state. Dependents of SACLANT employees receive these privileges based on the SACLANT employee's nationality. For this purpose, a dependent is a family member habitually residing in the principal's household who is: the spouse; an unmarried child under 21; an unmarried son or daughter under 23 studying full time at a post-secondary school (under 25 if a bilateral employment agreement signed before November 21, 1988 permits their employment and does not specify under 23 as the age limit); or an unmarried son or daughter with a physical or mental disability that prevents them from adequately caring for themselves or establishing, maintaining or re-establishing their own household. The dependent submits Form I-765 and Form I-566 to SACLANT, which certifies the I-566 and forwards the application to USCIS. A de facto arrangement has further conditions, including that the principal's total assignment in the United States is expected to last more than 6 months. Permission is granted in increments of up to 3 years, a denial cannot be appealed, and a dependent granted permission to work must pay all federal, state and local income and employment taxes and Social Security contributions.[2]

NATO-7 personal employees

NATO-7 is for attendants, servants and personal employees of NATO-1 to NATO-6 principals, and their immediate family. Attendants are paid from a foreign government's public funds or from an international organization's funds, and accompany or follow to join the principal they serve; servants and personal employees work in a domestic or personal capacity, are paid from the principal's private funds, and come solely for that job. The employer must already be in NATO status in the United States, or hold a NATO visa and travel with or ahead of the employee to take up a new assignment or other official duties. A person employed by someone who has U.S. permanent resident status cannot get a NATO-7 visa. NATO-7 visas are not limited to nationals of NATO countries.[1,3,7]

Before a NATO-7 visa can be issued or renewed, you and your employer must sign an employment contract, in a language you understand (with an accurate English translation attached if it is not in English), that contains every term the State Department requires. Among them: an hourly rate of at least the greater of the federal, state or local minimum wage; usual weekly hours, which must be at least 35, and at least one full day off each week; the employer's agreement not to take or control your passport, visa, contract or other documents or property; and the employer paying your travel to the United States at the start and back home at the end of the job, for any reason, without deducting it from your salary. You must be interviewed, outside the presence of your employer or any recruitment agent, and the officer confirms that you have received, read and understood the State Department's "Know Your Rights" information pamphlet. NATO-7 applicants are not required to be listed in the State Department's Office of Foreign Missions Information System (TOMIS). The visa is usually issued for the maximum period set by the reciprocity schedule of the country concerned, usually 24 months, but not beyond the validity of your employer's NATO visa. To extend your stay (your I-94 record) to keep working for the same employer, you apply from inside the United States without an interview, but you must give the State Department an updated contract that meets its requirements.[1]

Fees

State Department visa fees from 22 CFR 22.1 (eCFR current as of Oct. 1, 2026), with State Department guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM 402.3); USCIS form fees from Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26, and 8 CFR 106.2.
ItemFee
Visa application fee, NATO-1 to NATO-7No fee
Visa issuance (reciprocity) feeDepends on reciprocity. State Department guidance says reciprocity fees are charged for NATO visas based on reciprocity, except in limited cases. Only NATO countries' reciprocity schedules have data for NATO visas, so for a NATO-7 employee from a non-member country the fee follows the A-3 data for the employee's country. For a family member or dependent who is not a citizen of a NATO member country, it follows the NATO principal's schedule if they are a permanent resident of the sending country, and otherwise the A-2 data for their own country of nationality
Form I-566 (interagency record of request for NATO dependent employment authorization, or change or adjustment to or from NATO status)$0
Form I-765 work permit, initial or renewal, for a dependent of NATO personnel (category (c)(7))$0
Form I-539, if filing into or out of NATO status$0
Form I-102, request for an initial Form I-94 arrival-departure record as a participant in a NATO armed forces or civil component$0 filing fee, plus a separate additional Form I-94 fee of $24
Form I-360, special immigrant petition for the NATO-6 green card$515 (general filing fee)
High confidenceChecked Oct 18, 2026[1,5,8,9]

Green card for NATO-6 civilian employees

High confidence USCIS says certain people who entered the United States in NATO-6 status (civilian NATO employees and their unmarried sons and daughters) are eligible to apply for a green card (permanent residence), including retired NATO-6 employees and the spouses and children of deceased or retired NATO-6 employees. The immigrant visa symbols for this group in 22 CFR 42.11 are SN1 (retired NATO-6 civilian employee), SN2 (spouse of SN1), SN3 (unmarried son or daughter of SN1) and SN4 (surviving spouse of a deceased NATO-6 civilian employee). This is an employment-based fourth preference (EB-4) special immigrant category: you need an approved Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, and a visa number must be available. The law applies the rules written for certain international organization (G-4) employees and their families, reading NATO in place of the international organization and NATO-6 in place of G-4. State Department guidance lists what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assesses, including employment with NATO or relationship to a NATO employee, the length of residence and of physical presence in the United States, and maintenance of NATO status. The residence, physical presence and deadline rules for each group are on the EB-4 page.[10,11,12,13]

Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa

Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa

Answers come from our sourced database and your own timeline, sorted into fact, public data, inference and unknown. No AI model is used in this version, so questions outside what we cover get an honest "not covered".

Questions people ask

I serve in the armed forces of a NATO country and am coming to train with the U.S. military. Do I need a visa?

Not necessarily. Armed services personnel of a NATO member country who qualify as members of a "force" under the NATO SOFA or the Paris Protocol are exempt from the passport and visa requirements, although they may choose to apply for a NATO visa instead of traveling without one. State Department guidance gives the example of a service member from a NATO SOFA country traveling in relation to a military sales contract or for training with the U.S. military, who would be classifiable NATO-2. Your dependents (a spouse, or a child who depends on you for support) do need NATO visas; dependents of armed services personnel are classified NATO-2. Military personnel of a NATO member country are usually classifiable A-1 or A-2 only when traveling in an official capacity to work at an embassy or consulate, for example as a defense attaché. An immigration attorney can apply the definition of a force to your facts.[1,7]

My country is not in NATO. Which visa do its military personnel use for training in the United States?

Not a NATO visa. Personnel of the armed services of countries outside NATO, traveling to the United States in connection with their military status for education or training at a U.S. military school or on a U.S. military installation, are treated as foreign government officials and are classifiable A-2. Training of up to 90 days on temporary duty (TDY) at another location is treated the same way if the U.S. government provides or sponsors it, or if it has been licensed by the Office of Defense Trade Control Licensing (PM/DTCL) where required. Representatives of non-NATO countries that have ratified the Partnership for Peace Status of Forces Agreement (PfP SOFA), traveling under it, are also classifiable A-2 if a visa is issued, not NATO. For armed forces personnel of the Taiwan authorities, State Department guidance refers to its separate Taiwan rules (see the A visa page).[1]

Can I renew my NATO visa without leaving the United States?

NATO-1 to NATO-6 holders and their immediate family who are in the United States may apply to have their visas renewed by the State Department's Diplomatic Liaison Division in Washington, D.C., if they are currently maintaining status and properly classifiable in that category, intend to reenter in that status after a temporary absence abroad, and were lawfully admitted in that status or changed to it through an application to USCIS. People in the United States in NATO-7 status cannot renew their visas here.[1]

Related categories

Content last reviewed: Oct 18, 2026 · General information, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. 1.9 FAM 402.3 - Foreign government officials (incl. 402.3-5(I) AIT and TECRO)U.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  2. 2.8 CFR 214.2(s) - NATO nonimmigrant alienseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  3. 3.22 CFR 41.21eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  4. 4.8 CFR 274a.12 - Classes of aliens authorized to accept employmenteCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  5. 5.22 CFR 22.1 - Schedule of fees for consular services (Department of State)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  6. 6.22 CFR 41.12eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  7. 7.22 CFR 41.25eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  8. 8.Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
  9. 9.8 CFR 106.2 - USCIS feeseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  10. 10.Green Card for a NATO-6 Nonimmigrant - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  11. 11.8 U.S.C. 1101 (INA 101) - Definitions, incl. 101(a)(15)(E), (H), (L), 101(a)(44), 101(a)(45)U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel · Statute · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  12. 12.9 FAM 502.5 SPECIAL IMMIGRANTSU.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  13. 13.22 CFR 42.11eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026