Digital Nomad: Chicago Visa Appointment Guide
I recently returned from my digital nomad visa appointment at the Chicago consulate, which was an overwhelmingly positive experience. I was overprepared with paperwork, which put my mind at ease. See below for what to expect at the appointment, what I was asked to submit as part of the appointment, and what I prepared and didn’t need.
Please keep in mind that all consulates are different, so you need to address the specific requirements of your “home” consulate. Here are the Chicago consulate’s requirements.
Because I am a remote worker (full-time, W-2 employee of a U.S. company), I had two additional requirements beyond the standard digital nomad visa requirements.
Some FAQs about Preparing for my Appointment
How far in advance did you book your appointment at the consulate?
I booked my appointment in February for July 2. Ten days before the appointment, I was sent a reminder email asking me to confirm the appointment in the online portal. Just because your appointment is booked does not mean it is confirmed. You must return to the portal 10 days before your appointment, and no later than 3 days before, to confirm.
What should I expect when I arrive at the consulate?
The Chicago consulate is located at 500 North Michigan Avenue in the Bank of America building. You will check in at the front desk of the building, and they will direct you to the proper elevator bank.
You are not permitted to use your cell phone once you enter the consulate. The security guard asked me to sign in, then take a seat. I felt like I was at the post office, except all of the agents were behind plexiglass partitions.
The agent called me to the window a few minutes before my appointment start time, and I was in and out in 20 minutes.
Were you expected to speak Italian?
No, everything was done in English, until the agent realized that I spoke Italian, at which point he switched. I spoke in Italian when comfortable and when we were just chit-chatting but switched to English to answer official questions to ensure I was not misunderstood.
How did you organize your documents?
I prepared the most beautiful binder with tabs and sub-tabs for each category of requirement—experience, work, finances, housing, etc. This is not necessary. Organize the docs in a folder so they are not bound, and it’s easy to take them out individually. When I went up to the window for my appointment, the consular agent asked me what visa I was applying for, and I said, “digital nomad.” He pulled up the PDF of the requirements on his screen and went through them one by one, asking for the paperwork for each requirement. I had to slide the documents one by one through the opening in the window, he reviewed them to ensure they met the requirements, then we proceeded to the next one.
Did you get a translation or apostille of any documents?
I had my cover letter, employment contract/letter, and self-certification letter all translated. They only asked for the English version of the employment documents. They did not ask for the cover letter.
How did you secure your lease?
I am renting an apartment I’ve stayed in several times for shorter terms. I have a good relationship with the landlord. In January/February, I went to Umbria and negotiated the terms of the lease with my landlord. I was required to obtain my Codice Fiscale (tax code) from the Italian Revenue Authority before proceeding with signing the lease. I took care of that during the same visit to Umbria. Afterward, my landlord and I met with his commercialista, who drafted the lease and submitted it to the Agenzia delle Entrate for official registration.
Documents Submitted to the Consulate
1. Proof of Qualifying Profession – I submitted the CIMEA certification of my degree and a copy of my college diploma.
2. Proof of Housing in Italy – I provided a copy of my signed lease that starts in October 2025. I also was required to provide a copy of the lease’s registration with the Agenzia delle Entrate, the Italian Tax Authority, which was provided by the commercialista who my landlord and I worked with to draft and register the lease.
3. Proof of Legal Income (no less than 24,789 euros) – I submitted pay stubs from January through June 2025, W-2s from 2022-2024, and tax returns from 2022-2024. They took all of them.
4. Proof of six months or more work experience in the field – I provided my work contract/letter signed by me and my CEO, referencing my start date of 2020. My tax returns and W-2s would also serve as proof.
The most stressful part of the day of my appointment was getting a cashier’s check, not the visa appointment itself.
5. Non-refundable visa application fee – This was my biggest annoyance. Because the consulate resets prices every three months (January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1) based on currency fluctuations, this was not something I could handle in advance since my appointment was on July 2, and I arrived in Chicago on July 1. When you consult the fee table, note the cost of the National Visa Fee. The consulate only accepts cashier’s checks or money orders, and it must be in the EXACT amount posted on the website. You need cash or a debit card to purchase either of these.
6. Declaration for Mailing Passports form – Simple. Straightforward. Print it from their website, fill it out, and sign it, which grants the consulate permission to return your passport by mail and acknowledges that it’s not the consulate’s fault if you don’t receive the package. With this, you need to bring a self-addressed (from yourself and to yourself) pre-paid USPS Priority envelope that they will use to ship your passport back to you. Be sure to note the envelope’s tracking number.
Additional Requirements for Remote Workers
1. Employment contract showing a salary equal to or above the median annual salary as calculated by the Italian National Institute of Statistics.
I wasn’t able to confirm the latest figure, but it’s around 40,000 euros. I provided a letter/contract from my employer, which we both signed, that states the start date of my job (2020, which shows more than 6 months of experience in the field), the function of my job, and my salary.
2. Letter from employer “stating that the employer has not been convicted in the past five years of any crimes related to the facilitation of illegal immigration, the exploitation of minors for work purposes, the violation of labor laws, or other crimes listed under comma 5-bis of article 22 of the Testo Unico Sull’Immigrazione (Italian immigration code).”
My CEO signed a letter confirming that the company had not been “convicted in the past five years . . .” using the exact language from the consulate. I provided a copy of her passport and driver’s license, along with the signed letter. A copy of the signer’s ID is required to accompany the letter.
Materials I Prepared but Did Not Need
1. Cover Letter – I wrote a letter explaining my desire for the digital nomad visa, work experience, financial situation, language skills, and the reason for choosing my new hometown. I had it translated into Italian. They did not ask for or want it.
2. Medical Insurance Policy Terms & Conditions – not needed; only the signed policy
3. Resume/CV – not needed
4. College transcripts – not needed
5. Articles of Organization for my employer from the Secretary of State – not needed
6. Federal and State Criminal Background checks – not needed
7. Confirmed plane ticket – not needed, but the agent did ask me if I had it. I said “no,” and he said, “It’s not a requirement, so not necessary,” but asked for my travel plans and noted them on my application in the “official notes” section.
At the end of the appointment, the consular agent reminded me that they have 90 days to officially process my application, but that I likely will hear from them sooner. He said they would reach out via phone or email if they required more information, but he thought that everything I provided would be sufficient.
My advice is that it’s best to be over-prepared, especially with work and financial documents, since those are core requirements. And you must ensure that you have at least a 12-month lease that is officially registered in Italy, or you cannot proceed. If you are in the Chicago consulate’s jurisdiction and applying for the digital nomad visa, I wish you the best and would love to hear from you about your experience!