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Visa Traveler

Exploring the world one country at a time

How to schedule US visa appointment: A step-by-step guide

Updated: September 21, 2023

After completing your DS-160, the next step in your visa application is to schedule US visa appointment. This requires paying the visa fee and selecting the location and date for your visa interview. Some countries require an additional appointment for biometrics at a Visa Application Center.

The US visa appointment available dates vary from country to country and location to location. You can check the current wait times for visa appointments at the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

You can schedule US visa appointment anywhere in the world. If you are traveling and would need to schedule your US visa interview appointment in a third country, you can very well do so.

It is not mandatory to schedule your appointment in the same location as in your DS-160. You are expected to schedule your appointment at the same location. But if you have to attend your visa interview at a different location, you are still allowed to do so.

IMPORTANT You must complete the DS-160 form prior to scheduling your US visa appointment. If you haven’t yet, follow this detailed step-by-step guide on how to fill DS-160 form online for US visa .

Table of Contents

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How to use this step-by-step guide?

There are multiple websites for scheduling US visa appointments. Which website to use depends on the country where you plan to schedule your visa appointment

This step-by-step guide is for using the CGI Federal (US Travel Docs) website. You must use CGI Federal to schedule US visa appointments in Asia, Central America, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

I have listed out all sections and questions in this guide. For each question, there is a comment explaining what exactly needs to be entered.

Before you start your visa appointment on CGI Federal, go through my comprehensive guide on US visa appointment to understand the eligibility, prerequisites and country-specific appointment portals for scheduling the visa interview.

Who Should Use CGI Federal (US Travel Docs) to Schedule US Visa Appointment

Determine the country where you plan to schedule your US visa appointment. If the country is in the below list, continue with the instructions here.

If the country is not in the below list, you may have to schedule your US visa appointment on AIS US Visa Info , NIV Appointment System or U.S. Visa Scheduling.

• Hong Kong (and Macau)
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Sri Lanka (and Maldives)
• New Zealand
• Czech Republic
• Switzerland (and Liechtenstein)

MIDDLE EAST

• Saudi Arabia
• Burkina Faso
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Egypt (and Yemen)
• Sierra Leone
• Tunisia (and Libya)

CENTRAL AMERICA

• El Salvador
• Dominican Republic

Steps to Schedule US Visa Appointment on CGI Federal (US Travel Docs)

Before you jump into creating your profile and filling out your appointment application, you must first read through the instructions thoroughly. Below are the steps to get to the instructions.

• Head over to the US Travel Docs website
• Select the country from the map where you would like to schedule your appointment
• Select “Yes” to the question “Is this your first time applying for a visa and/or visiting our site?”
• Select “Nonimmigrant” to the question “Are you applying for a nonimmigrant or immigrant visa?”
• Nonimmigrant visa information and instructions will be displayed
• Read through the instructions to familiarize yourself with the application, the steps and the payment options

01. New User Registration

After you read through the instructions, follow the below steps to register a new profile.

• Go to the US Travel Docs website
• Select “No” to the question “Is this your first time applying for a visa and/or visiting our site?”
• Click on “Create Account” button under “APPLY FOR A U.S. VISA”
• You will be taken to “New User Registration” section

Enter the following information in “New User Registration” section

• Select Country For Visa [ Comment: Country will automatically be displayed. This field is not editable ]
• Email [ Comment: Enter your email where you would like to receive communication ]
• First Name [ Comment: Enter your given name from the passport]
• Last Name [ Comment: Enter your last name or surname from the passport ]
• Password [ Comment: Enter a new password for your profile ]
• Confirm Password [ Comment: Enter the same password as you entered above ]
• I have read and understood the Privacy Policy [ Comment: Check this box ]
• Type in the characters displayed in the box below [ Comment: Enter the captcha ]

Click on the “Submit” button to register a new profile. Make a note of your username (your email) and password. You will need these credentials to save and come back to your application later.

Click on “New Application/Schedule Appointment” from the left side menu to start scheduling your appointment. When you click on “New Application/Schedule Appointment”, you will be taken to “Visa Type” section.

02. Visa Type

Enter the following information

• Immigrant Visa
• Nonimmigrant visa

Click on “Continue” to go to the “Location” section.

03. Location

• Please Select Your Country or State of Residence [ Comment: Select the location where you want to schedule your visa appointment ]

Click on “Continue” to go to the “Language” section.

04. Language

• Language Of Interview [ Comment: Enter the language in which you want to give your visa interview. You will be asked questions in this language ]

Click on “Continue” to go to “Visa Category” section.

05. Visa Category

• Business/Tourism, Crew and All Other Visas
• Students and Exchange Visitors
• L1 (Blanket)
• H&L visas

Click on “Continue” to go to “Visa Class” section.

06. Visa Class

• B1 – VISITOR FOR BUSINESS
• B1/B2 – VISITOR FOR BUSINESS AND PLEASURE
• B2 – VISITOR FOR PLEASURE OR MEDICAL TREATMENT

Click on “Continue” to go to “Review” section.

• Please make sure all selected information is correct before continuing [ Comment: Review the information and make sure everything you have entered is correct so far ]

Click on “Continue” to go to “Personal Data” section.

08. Personal Data

• Passport Number [ Comment: Enter you passport number as in your passport and DS-160 ]
• Passport Issuance Date [ Comment: Enter your passport issue date ]
• Passport Issuance Place [ Comment: Enter your passport place of issue ]
• Passport Expiration Date [ Comment: Enter your passport expiration date ]
• Date of Birth [ Comment: Enter your date of birth as shown in your passport ]
• Nationality [ Comment: Enter your nationality ]
• First Name [ Comment: Enter your given name from your passport ]
• Last Name [ Comment: Enter your last name or surname from your passport ]
• Country of Birth [ Comment: Enter your country of birth ]
• Gender [ Comment: Enter your gender ]
• DS-160 Confirmation Number [ Comment: Enter your DS-160 confirmation number ]
• Phone Number [ Comment: Enter your phone number ]
• Mobile Phone [ Comment: Enter your mobile number ]
• Email [Comment: Enter your email ]
• Address Line 1 [ Comment: Enter your address ]
• City [ Comment: Enter your city ]
• State [ Comment: Enter your state ]
• Postal Code [ Comment: Enter your postal/zip code ]

Click on “Continue” to go to “Dependents” section.

09. Dependents

• Please click “Add by Name” or “Add Existing Applicant” if you have a group/family member (including a child) who needs to apply for a visa with you. [ Comment: Click on the “Add by Name” button to add the dependents that need to attend the visa interview with you ]

If you would need to add your dependents, click on “Add by Name” button and enter the following information.

• DS-160 Confirmation # [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s DS-160 confirmation number ]
• First Name [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s given name from the passport ]
• Last Name [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s last name or surname from the passport ]
• Gender [ Comment: Select your dependent’s gender ]
• Date of Birth [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s date of birth as shown on the passport ]
• Country of Birth [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s country of birth ]
• Nationality [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s nationality
• Passport Number [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s passport number ]
• Passport Issuance Date [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s passport date of issue ]
• Passport Issuance Place [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s passport place of issue ]
• Passport Expiration Date [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s passport date of expiration ]
• Primary Phone # [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s primary phone number ]
• Alternative Phone # [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s alternative phone number ]
• Email [ Comment: Enter your dependent’s email ]

Click on “Save” to save your dependent’s information.

If you have more than one dependent that needs to attend the visa interview with you, click on “Add by Name” to add more dependents.

When finished adding all your dependents, click on “Continue” to go to “Age” section.

• Are you (the visa applicant) under 14 years or age? [ Comment: Click “No” to continue ]
• Are you (the visa applicant) 80 years of age or older? [ Comment: Click “No” to continue ]

11. Previous Visas

• Do you have a previous B-1/B-2 visa (visitor visa)? [ Comment: Click “No” to continue. Click “Yes” if you had a previous B1/B2 visa ]

NOTE If you select “Yes” to the above question, you will be asked a few questions to determine if you qualify for the visa renewal and interview waiver.

12. Documentation Delivery

• Pick Up [ Comment: Select this option if you would like to pick up your passport from visa application center or courier head office ]
• Delivery [ Comment: Select this option if you would like to receive your passport by mail to your home ]

Click on “Continue” to go to the “Payment Options” section.

13. Payment Options

On this screen, you will see different payment options. Click on each option to see the instructions on how to make the visa fee payment.

At this point, the visa application is already saved. Familiarize yourself with the payment options and pick the payment method that works best for you.

Available Payment Methods

• Electronic fund transfer (ETF) from a local bank account
• Cash payment at a designated local bank
• Country-specific local payment options (mobile payments, wallets, etc)

a. Electronic fund transfer (ETF) from a local bank account

Follow the below steps to pay your visa fee by electronic fund transfer

• On this screen, select Electronic Fund Transfer
• A unique account number will be displayed
• Make a note of this unique account number as you will need this to make your visa appointment
• Make an electronic fund transfer to this unique account number from your local bank account

You will be able to schedule your appointment on the next business day after the visa fee payment is made.

NOTE If more details such as bank name, bank address, etc are required to make an electronic fund transfer, those details will also be displayed along with the unique account number.

NOTE You must transfer the correct amount. Incorrect amounts can lead to delays.

b. Cash payment at a designated local bank

Follow the below steps to pay your visa fee by cash at a designated local bank

• On this screen, select Cash at Bank
• A link to download/print the visa application deposit/collection slip will be displayed
• Print the visa application deposit/collection slip
• Fill all the necessary details on the deposit/collection slip
• Take the deposit slip with you to the bank and make the visa fee payment
• You will be given a receipt, save the deposit slip and receipt

c. Country-specific local payment options (mobile payments, wallets, etc)

Follow the below steps to pay your visa fee by a local payment option such as mobile payment, wallet, etc. These options differ from country to country.

• On the payment screen, select your country specific local payment option (such as mobile, wallet, etc)
• Instructions on how to make the payment will be displayed
• Make the visa fee payment and make a note of the receipt or transaction number

You will be able to schedule your appointment the next business day after the visa fee payment is made.

After the payment, come back to the website and login with your credentials. You will see a “Continue” option on the left side menu. When you click this “Continue” option, you will be taken directly to the “Payment” screen.

Enter the following information on the “Payment” screen

• Receipt Number [ Comment: Enter the receipt number of your visa fee payment ]

Click “Continue” to schedule your visa appointment.

NOTE If your receipt has become active, you will be taken to the schedule appointment screen. If not, you will be shown an error saying that the receipt number is not valid. In that case, try again after some time. Remember that the receipt number becomes active on the next working day of your payment.

NOTE If you are renewing your previous visa, you may see an additional screen asking to select your visa priority. You may see 2 options – “Regular” and “No Show”. You must select “Regular”. “No Show” is for those who couldn’t make it to their previous appointment but using the same visa fee receipt number to schedule another appointment.

14. Schedule Fingerprints and Photo Appointment (applicable only in some countries)

On this screen, pick the date and time for your fingerprints and photo appointment.

Click on “Continue”.

Print your fingerprints and photo appointment confirmation. You will need a copy of this appointment confirmation for your fingerprints and photo.

NOTE Appointment for fingerprints and photo is ONLY REQUIRED in certain countries such as India, Mexico , etc. The appointment for fingerprints and photo must be scheduled at least 1 day ahead of your actual visa interview at the Embassy or Consulate.

15. Schedule US Visa Interview Appointment

On this screen, pick the date and time for your visa interview appointment.

Print your US visa interview appointment confirmation. You will need a copy of your appointment confirmation for your visa interview.

NOTE The appointment for visa interview must be scheduled at least 1 day after your fingerprint and photo appointment.

NOTE The US visa appointment available dates can vary greatly from location to location. There may be several days wait in certain countries and cities. Before you book US visa appointment, I recommend checking the current wait times at the Bureau of Consular Affairs website to get an idea on when you can find an available slot.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I need to travel urgently. How can I apply for an expedited appointment?

If need to travel to the US urgently, you may qualify for an expedited US visa appointment. Keep in mind that you must have a strong reason and must be able to provide documentary evidence to prove it.

The following reasons are generally considered eligible for expedited appointments.

– Medical care for self or companion – Death or funeral of an immediate family member – Business related emergency travel – Students starting or resuming study

You must first schedule your appointment for the earliest available date. After which, you will see a menu item in your dashboard called “Emergency Request” or “Expedited Request”. Fill and submit the expedited request. If you qualify for an expedited appointment, you will be notified via email with instructions to schedule your expedited appointment.

We are traveling together as a family. How do I schedule a family appointment?

If you are traveling as a family, you can schedule one visa appointment for the entire family.

Follow the instructions below.

1) Create just one profile/account for yourself (primary applicant) in the appointment system. Add your family members as “dependents”

2) On the payment page, you will be given a single receipt number and the total visa fee amount (for the entire family) to be paid

3) You must make the total visa fee payment for that receipt number

4) When the receipt number becomes active, you will be able to schedule a single appointment for the entire family

5) On the day of the appointment, you all have to arrive at the consulate at the scheduled time and everyone in the family will be interviewed together

I cannot log into my account. It says my account is frozen and wait for 72 hours. What should I do?

If the appointment system notices that your activities are suspicious, it freezes your account for 72 hours. Once your account is frozen, you will not be able to log in for 72 hours.

I assume that the following activities can trigger an account freeze –

1. Going into the appointment page too often on a given day. You will be shown a warning message if you have accessed the schedule appointment page too often – “You are approaching the maximum number of times you may view this page. Please complete your transaction at this time.”

2. Leaving the appointment page open in other tabs/browsers while you do other work.

If your account is frozen, there is not much you can do. You will have to wait for a good 72 hours to be able to access your account again.

There are no available appointments. My travel dates are approaching. What should I do?

If you are not finding any available appointments and your travel dates are approaching, trying the following.

1) Keep an eye on the current wait times in your location and also at all other locations in your country. When you see a drop in the wait times in any of those locations, check for available appointments in that location. You may be able to find an earlier appointment that way.

2) Try checking for available appointments after midnight or early morning. There will be fewer people on the system, so it would be easy to find an appointment during those times.

3) Attend your interview in another country. Look up the current wait times in other countries that are easy for you to travel to. You will have to pay the visa fee in that country again as the fee is not transferable between countries.

I want to schedule my appointment in a different country than the country in my profile. How do I change this?

The country on your account defaults to the country where you have created your account for the first time. This is fine if you create an account and schedule your appointment in the same country.

The system also uses the name, date of birth and passport number to look up any duplicate accounts. So, if you create a new account, the system will flag it and will ask you to merge.

If you need to change the country on your account or merge your new account with the old one, you must contact USTravelDocs customer service. They have the ability to change the default country on your profile or merge your old account with the new one. Their customer service is very helpful in fixing such issues.

I don’t want to schedule my appointment. Can someone else use my visa fee receipt number?

When you make the visa fee payment, the receipt number (also referred to as MRV number, CGI number) will become active. Once you use this receipt number to lookup available appointments, it’s then associated with your profile. You cannot transfer the visa fee to another applicant.

If you have never used the receipt number in your profile, you can have other applicants use it for scheduling their appointment.

NOTE: The visa fee is valid for 1 year from the payment date. It can only be used to schedule an appointment in the country where the payment was made.

I can’t make it to my appointment. The system says I cannot reschedule anymore. What should I do?

An appointment can be rescheduled for only 1) a certain number of times and 2) until certain days before your appointment.

If you are approaching the number of times you are allowed to reschedule, you will see a warning. At this point, you cannot reschedule any more. If you continue, your appointment will be canceled and your receipt number becomes unusable. You have to pay the visa fee again to schedule your appointment.

I’m renewing my visa. Do I qualify for interview waiver?

If you are renewing your visa, you may qualify for an interview waiver if the following conditions are met.

1) You are applying for the same type of visa as the previous visa 2) You are applying at the same location as your previous visa 3) Your previous visa is still valid or expired in the last 1 year

If you qualify for an interview waiver, you can use the dropbox facility to submit your documents at the visa application center.

The procedure to renew a visa is the same as scheduling a new appointment. While scheduling your appointment, you will be asked questions about your previous visa. If you qualify for the interview waiver, the system will prompt you to use the dropbox submission. Instructions and required documentation are sent to your email.

My visa was neither approved nor denied. I was told that my case requires administrative processing. What should I do?

If the visa officer is not convinced with your answers during the interview, they may issue you a Section 221 (g) and put your case in administrative processing. Administrative processing is required if additional background checks or verification of information is necessary.

If your case requires administrative processing, the visa officer will give a yellow paper (referred to as Section 221 (g)) and will ask you to check the status of your case online. Administrative processing usually takes 4-6 weeks, but in extreme cases, it can take several months.

NOTE: Do not check your visa status right after your visa is approved. It will usually be administrative processing and it can cause panic. This is quite normal and US consulate would need to do some final checks before attaching the visa sticker in your passport.

My visa was approved but the online status stays it’s in administrative processing. What should I do?

Do not check your visa status right after your visa is approved. It will usually be in administrative processing and it can cause panic.

Administrative processing after visa is approved is quite normal. US consulate would need to perform some final checks before attaching the visa sticker in your passport. During this time, your case status will be administrative process/review.

I couldn’t attend my visa appointment. Can I use the same visa fee receipt to schedule another appointment?

Yes. You will be considered a “No Show” applicant. You can use the same visa fee receipt number to schedule a new appointment.

After your visa interview date, your visa fee receipt number gets deactivated. You have to wait two working days for the visa fee receipt number to become active again. After which, you can schedule your appointment.

While scheduling your new appointment, right after you enter your receipt number, you will be asked to select the visa priority – “Regular” or “No Show”. You must select “No Show” and continue scheduling your new appointment.

That’s it, folks! Follow this step-by-step guide to schedule US visa appointment. If you have any questions or stuck at any step, feel free to comment here or email me.

WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI

Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER We are not affiliated with immigration, embassies or governments of any country. The content in this article is for educational and general informational purposes only, and shall not be understood or construed as, visa, immigration or legal advice. Your use of information provided in this article is solely at your own risk and you expressly agree not to rely upon any information contained in this article as a substitute for professional visa or immigration advice. Under no circumstance shall be held liable or responsible for any errors or omissions in this article or for any damage you may suffer in respect to any actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the information in this article. Please refer to our full disclaimer for further information.

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please refer to our full disclosure for further information.

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Here’s how long a US visa appointment will take in your city right now

By Jahnavi Bhatt

Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy in India revealed that there was a 60% increase in visa applications from India in 2023, as compared to 2022. One out of every ten U.S. visa applicants around the world is an Indian. It’s no wonder then that despite processing a record 1.4 million visas from India and bringing down visa wait times by 75% in 2023, US visa wait times in India remain long. There have been efforts to streamline the process—such as consolidating the visa-waiver appointments to New Delhi and conducting ‘Super Saturday’ drives for visa appointments in New Delhi—but the wait times still remain well over a year in some Indian cities. Here are the current US visa wait times across India:

Note: Visa wait times are subject to change. It is advisable to get in touch with your nearest embassy for the latest updates. The following wait times are as per the data available on 30 April

Current wait times for a US visa across India:

Chennai: 507 days Mumbai: 494 days Hyderabad: 282 days New Delhi: 162 days Kolkata: 151 days

If these wait times are too long for you, you can apply for a B1/B2 visa through an international destination you may already have travel plans for. The wait times are a day in Kuwait , two days in Hanoi , Vietnam, and three days in Kuala Lumpur . Some countries have about a month-long wait time—29 days in Phnom Penh , Cambodia, 39 days in Bangkok , 38 days in Fiji’s capital Savu , 43 days in Singapore and 59 days in Riyadh . These global visa wait times can change based on workload and staffing. While these wait times are for residents, schedules for non-residents in different countries don’t differ, as per travel agent Akash Pratim, founder of Elite Tours & Travels. Pratim, however, does highlight that Indians applying for a US visa from other countries could be questioned about the reason for applying via a third country. He, therefore, advises being prepared with an answer on the wait time in your city.

Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

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Appointment

Appointment Date, Time, and Location

How long does it take to get an appointment?

What if I need to change the interview date and time?

Medical Examination

My interview hasn't been scheduled yet, but I want to get started on my medical exam. Where should I go to get an exam?

Who Must Participate in the Interview

Does the petitioner have to be present at the interview?

If a derivative applicant is following to join the principal applicant, do they have to be present at the interview?

What Do I Need to Bring to the Interview

Are there any additional fees to be paid at post?

What must I bring to the interview?

Do I need to bring originals of documents I submitted to the NVC via CEAC with me to the interview?

What happens to the documents submitted to the NVC?

Last Minute Changes

Does every applicant need to fill out a Form DS-260?

My children were going to follow to join me. Can they accompany me instead?

Can I include my children if they were not originally part of the case?

My child will turn 21 years old soon. Will that affect their visa?

The petitioner on my case recently became a U.S. citizen. Can I still apply for an immigrant visa?

When Your Visa Is Issued - What You Should Know

How much time do I have to immigrate after my visa is issued?

Although NVC strives to schedule appointments within three months of NVC’s acceptance of all requested documentation, this timeframe is subject to the operating status and capacity of the consular section.  Currently, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most consular posts are operating at a limited capacity as they work through a backlog of immigrant visa applications and scheduling may take significantly longer.

To determine the proper procedure for rescheduling your interview appointment, please click U.S. Embassy/Consulate General-Specific Interview Guidelines .

You will receive instructions concerning interview preparation in the appointment letter that you will receive from the NVC. You should not have your exam until your interview has been scheduled. For further information about how to arrange for your medical examination click Medical Examination .

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Medical examination results are valid for six months in normal circumstances. But if you have certain medical conditions your examination results could expire in as little as 3 months. In any case you should not have your medical examination until the NVC notifies you of your interview appointment date. You may be denied entry to the United States if your medical examination results expire before your arrival.

No, only applicants must appear to be interviewed.

Only the applicants who plan to immigrate must appear to be interviewed at the scheduled time. Applicants who will follow to join the principal applicant later do not have to attend the interview scheduled by NVC. They will be interviewed separately. You should contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate directly to arrange separate interviews.

The immigrant visa application processing fee for each applicant must be paid before his/her visa interview can take place. Applicants whose fee has not been paid should be prepared to pay the fee on the day of the interview. You should contact the U.S. Embassy/Consulate to understand what payment methods are acceptable.

Please review Interview Preparation – Required Documents for a list of the required documents you will need for your immigrant visa interview.

Yes, you must bring the original civil documents that you scanned and submitted through CEAC. If you do not bring your originals, you will delay the processing of your case.

Please do not submit any original documents to the NVC. Unless specifically directed to do so, please do not mail any documents to NVC, either original or photocopy.

Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, is required for all Immigrant Visa applicants and Diversity Visa applicants.

Yes, you may change your children's status from follow-to-join to accompanying by directly contacting the U.S. Embassy/Consulate where your interview is scheduled.

If the visa for which you are applying allows derivative children, your unmarried children under the age of 21 may be added as derivative applicants after your interview has been scheduled. You must directly contact the embassy/consulate to request specific instructions. At the interview the added applicant(s) will be required to pay the same fees, and submit the same forms and supporting documents as the original applicant(s).

If you plan to immigrate to the United States with your children, or to have your children join you in the United States later, you must prove that your children are:

• Eligible to be listed under your visa classification, and
• Under the age of 21 at the time they enter the United States

If your child will soon turn 21, your child could become ineligible to immigrate with you. If your child cannot immigrate with you because of their age, then a separate petition must be filed for your child and there may be a significant delay before your child becomes eligible for a visa.

If visas are available in your visa category before your child's birthday, the NVC may be able to expedite your case so that you and your child can immigrate together. Unfortunately, if visas are not available before the child's birthday, the NVC cannot expedite the case.

There is also a law called the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), which applies to a narrow range of cases and may allow the principal applicant's son or daughter to remain eligible under this petition. At the time of the parent's visa interview, the consular officer will determine whether or not CSPA is applicable in your particular situation.

Yes, although the type of immigrant visa that you can receive will change. If the family member in the United States who petitioned for you has become a U.S. citizen, you should immediately contact the U.S. Embassy where your interview is scheduled. They will need proof of your petitioner’s naturalization, so please obtain one of the following documents:

• A copy of the biodata page of your petitioner’s U.S. passport; or
• A copy of your petitioner’s certificate of naturalization.

Effect on spouses and minor children: If you filed a petition for your spouse or minor children (under age 21 and unmarried) while you were an LPR, the visa category was  family second preference (F2A) . When you become a U.S. citizen, NVC will  upgrade the petition  to an  immediate relative (IR)  visa category. This benefits your immigrating family member(s) because there are no limits on the number of visas that can be issued each year in the IR categories.

• Important: If the  family second preference (F2A)  petition that you filed for your spouse included your minor children, now that you are a U.S. citizen you must file new and separate petitions for each child. This is because children cannot be included as “derivative applicants” on a parent’s  immediate relative (IR)  visa or petition. (This is different from the family second preference petition, which allows minor children to be included in their parent's petition.)
• Children born abroad after you became a U.S. citizen may qualify for U.S. citizenship. They should apply for U.S. passports at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The consular officer will determine whether your child is a U.S. citizen and can have a passport. If the consular officer determines your child is not a U.S. citizen, the child must apply for an immigrant visa if he/she wants to live in the United States.

Effect on adult children: If you filed a petition for your unmarried adult children (age 21 or older) when you were an LPR, NVC will change the visa category from  family second preference (F2B)  to  family first preference (F1) . However, under a federal law called the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), visa applicants can “opt out” of conversion to the F1 visa category and remain an F2B visa applicant. This may be beneficial because sometimes the wait time for an F2B visa is shorter than the wait time for an F1 visa. When you naturalize and become a U.S. citizen, you should check the  Visa Bulletin  to see if it would be helpful for your adult unmarried child to remain in the F2B category. (Applicants keep the priority date of their F2B petition when it converts to the F1 visa category.) Applicants who want to opt-out of conversion to the F1 category must submit a request using these guidelines:

• Applicants whose case is at NVC should submit requests using  NVC’s online inquiry form . NVC will forward the request to USCIS and change the visa category back to F2B upon receipt of USCIS’s approval.
• Applicants whose case is at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas should ask the embassy to submit a request on their behalf. The consular officer will forward the request and adjudicate the visa application in the F2B category only upon receipt of USCIS’s approval.

Review your visa when you receive it and also carefully note its expiration date. You must enter the United States before your visa expires, and before your medical examination results expire.

More Information

A-Z Index Latest News What is a U.S. Visa? Diversity Visa Program Visa Waiver Program Fraud Warning Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate Straight Facts on U.S. Visas

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What’s the latest on visa wait times, tommy goodwin.

Tommy Goodwin is Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), an association dedicated to the advancement of the business events industry. He leads ECA’s advocacy and member engagement work on behalf of the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, show and event organizers, suppliers, venues and destinations that comprise the global business events landscape.

While post-COVID international travel to the U.S. reopened in late 2021, trade show, conference and corporate meeting organizers across the country have not been able to bring all their international exhibitors and attendees to their events in the U.S.

Why? Persistent visa processing delays in many key markets around the world.  

Here’s an example: If a would-be exhibitor or attendee from Mexico City applied for a visitor visa for the first time at the local U.S. embassy today, they would have to wait 878 days for an interview with a consular officer.  

That’s not 878 days to get a visa, just an interview as part of the visa application process!

The story is similar for visa applicants in Bogota (685 days), Istanbul (553 days), Mumbai (494 days) and Abu Dhabi (458 days).

Since international exhibitors and attendees need to start making financial outlays up to one year in advance of coming to events in the U.S., these long wait times mean that the U.S. is still closed for business to visitors from many countries.

It’s not all bad news, however. Average visitor visa interview wait times in Brazil are down more than 85 percent over the last year, and wait times remain stable in China. And there’s more help on the way.  

In March, Congress provided the U.S. State Department with $50 million in extra funding to help reduce visa wait times and passport backlogs.   

As Hervé Sedky, Emerald Holding Inc. president and CEO and chair of the ECA board of directors, said at the time: "Securing this funding marks an important step in reopening our doors and bringing all of our international stakeholders back to business events in the U.S., which play a vital role in driving domestic economic growth, fostering job creation and empowering U.S. small businesses every day.”

While this advocacy win was good news for the industry, there is still more to be done for the State Department to meet its stated goal of having more than 90 percent of our overseas posts to have visitor visa interview wait times under 90 days in 2024.  

That’s why ECA is still working on Capitol Hill to advance legislation that would help further reduce wait times while helping to ensure that such delays never happen again.  

Specifically, ECA supports three bipartisan bills that would increase flexibility, transparency, and accountability when it comes to visitor visa processing. They are:  

• S.2632: Visa Processing Improvement Act
• H.R.5127: Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act
• H.R.7263: VISITOR Act

These bills will be front and center during ECA Legislative Action Day , which takes place in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 30. 

This annual event brings industry leaders and advocates from across our industry to Capitol Hill to meet with policymakers about important issues that impact the business events ecosystem, including visitor visa interview wait times.  

To find out how you can be part of ECA Legislative Action Day and advocate for further bringing visa wait times down, click here .

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter  HERE , listen to our latest podcast  HERE  and engage with us on  LinkedIn !

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Visa Processing Time

Current wait time and availability.

All applicants are processed as efficiently as possible and the U.S. Embassy strives to keep the wait time for appointments as short as possible. That said, the earlier you book your appointment, the more likely you are to be able to get the interview date and time you want.

NOTE.  Please be informed that the call center agents can see exactly the same calendar as you in your profile and cannot schedule you any earlier appointments. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and the need for the Consular section to prioritize services for U.S. citizens and immigrant visa processing the nonimmigrant visa unit have had very limited services for more than two years, creating an extensive backlog for visa services. Please be informed that the U.S. Embassy in Sweden has a very limited emergency appointment availability. They are only approving emergency appointments for humanitarian emergencies and cases which are in the national interest of the United States, including: H visas associated with food production, medical professionals, and individuals traveling to the United States as air or sea crew.

Although visa processing time is  three weeks, processing time for specific cases may vary due to individual circumstances and other special requirements.

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The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

Visa time for europe-bound travellers unlikely to fly soon.

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