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.
Previously, you could schedule a US visa appointment anywhere in the world. But from September 2025, you are required to schedule your visa appointment only in your country of residence or nationality. There are some exceptions, but they don’t apply to regular tourist visa applicants like us.
IMPORTANT
You must complete the DS-160 form before 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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Who is required to schedule US visa appointment?
A visa appointment is mandatory for all foreign nationals applying for a US visa, such as a B1/B2. You must appear in person on the day of your appointment for biometrics and a visa interview.
The visa appointment may or may not include an in-person interview with a consular officer. If the system determines that you require an interview, you must appear in person at a US consulate on the scheduled date and time.
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Where to schedule US visa appointment?
There are multiple websites for scheduling US visa appointments. Which website to use depends on the country where you plan to attend your visa interview.
These are the current US visa scheduling websites.
- US Visa Scheduling (by CGI Federal)
- AIS US Visa Info (by GDIT) (also called Global Support Services)
- US Visa Appointment (by Amentum)
- NIV Appointment System (by the US Department of State)
This step-by-step guide is for using the US Visa Scheduling (by CGI Federal) website.
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.
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Who should use US Visa Scheduling (CGI Federal) to schedule US visa appointment?
If you are a resident or a national of any of the following 68 countries, you can use the US Visa Scheduling website.
ASIA
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- China
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Laos
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
EUROPE
- Albania
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
MIDDLE EAST
- Bahrain
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
AFRICA
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Tunisia
OCEANIA
- Australia
- Fiji
- New Zealand
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Steps to schedule US visa appointment on US Visa Scheduling (CGI Federal)
00. Sign In / New User Registration
- Head over to the US Visa Scheduling website
- Click on the Sign up now link
This will take you to the new user registration page.
Enter the following information.
- Username [Instruction: Enter an easy-to-remember username. You will be using this username to log in later]
- New Password [Instruction: Enter a password that’s at least 16 characters in length]
- Confirm New Password [Instruction: Reenter your password]
- Email Address [Instruction: Enter your email address]
After entering your Email address, click on the blue “Send Verification Code” button.
Check your email inbox for the verification code. Enter the verification code and click “Verify”.
After verifying the email, continue the registration by entering the following information.
- Given Name [Instruction: Enter your given name as it appears in your passport. If you have a middle name in your passport, enter your middle name followed by your first name, separated by a space, in this field.
- Surname [Instruction: Enter surname or last name as it appears in your passport]
- Select Security Question 1 [Instruction: Select a security question from the options]
- Answer to Security Question 1 [Instruction: Enter an answer for the security question. This is case sensitive and make sure to enter something that you can remember]
- Select Security Question 2 [Instruction: Select a security question from the options]
- Answer to Security Question 2 [Instruction: Enter an answer for the security question. This is case sensitive and make sure to enter something that you can remember]
- Select Security Question 3 [Instruction: Select a security question from the options]
- Answer to Security Question 3 [Instruction: Enter an answer for the security question. This is case sensitive and make sure to enter something that you can remember]
Click on the “Create” button. This will take you back to the sign-in page.
Enter your Username, Password and Captcha. Click on the “Sign In” button.
You will be asked to enter answers to at least two of your security questions. Enter the answers and click on the “Continue” button.
You will be taken to the Privacy Policy page. Scroll down, check the box for “I have read and understood…” and click on the “Continue” button.
You will be taken to the “Profile” page.
On this page, enter the following information
- Contact Email [Instruction: Enter your email here again]
- Preferred Language [Instruction: Select your preferred language]
- Country [Instruction: Select the country where you are applying for your US visa from]
WARNING: Once you select the country where you will attend your US visa interview, you cannot change this information. Please make sure to select the correct country. As of September 2025, you can only attend your visa interview in your country of residence or the country of your passport.
Click on the blue “Submit” button.
You will be taken to the “Visa Application Home” page.
01. Visa Application Home
- Click on the “Start Application” link
This will take you to the “Applicant Details” page.
02. Applicant Details
Enter the following information in the “Applicant Details” page.
Section: Applicant Details
- Country from which you are applying [Instruction: The country will be automatically selected from your profile and you cannot edit it]
- First Name [Instruction: Your given name will be automatically populated from your profile and you cannot edit it here]
- Last Name [Instruction: Your surname will be automatically populated from your profile and you cannot edit here]
- Country of Birth [Instruction: Enter your country of birth]
Section: Contact Information
- Home Phone [Instruction: Enter your home phone number]
- Mobile Phone [Instruction: Enter your mobile phone number]
- Email [Instruction: Your email will be automatically populated from your profile and you cannot edit it here]
Section: Mailing Address
- Mailing Street [Instruction: Enter your mailing address number and street]
- Mailing City [Instruction: Enter your mailing address city]
- Mailing State/Province [Instruction: Enter your mailing address state]
- Mailing Zip/Postal Code [Instruction: Enter your mailing address zip/postal code]
Section: Passport Details
- Passport Number [Instruction: Enter your passport number]
- Passport Issuance Date (MM/DD/YYYY) [Instruction: Enter your passport issue date]
- Passport Place of Issue [Instruction: Enter your passport place of issue]
- Passport Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY) [Instruction: Enter your passport expiry date]
- Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) [Instruction: Enter your birth date]
- Nationality [Instruction: Enter your country of passport]
- National ID [Instruction: Enter your national ID]
Click the “Submit” button
03. Visa Options
Enter the following information in the “Visa Options” page.
- Country [Instruction: Your country will be automatically populated from your profile and you cannot edit this information]
- Visa Type [Instruction: Select “Non-Immigrant” from the options for B1, B2 or B1/B2]
- [OPTIONS]
- Non-Immigrant
- Immigrant
- Embassy/Consulate/OFC [Instruction: Select the location for the consulate that you prefer]
- Post Visa Category [Instruction: Select “Business/Tourism” from the options]
- [OPTIONS]
- Business/Tourism
- Crew
- Employment-based visas (H & L)
- Employment-based visas (Non-H & L)
- J-Exchange – Physicians
- J-Exchange Visitor
- J-Government Sponsored No Fee Applicants
- Students
- Visa Priority [Instruction: This is the language you have selected in your profile and it’s automatically populated. You cannot edit his information.]
- Visa Class Tag [Instruction: Select B1, B2 or B1/B2 under Vistor Visas for Business and Pleasure]
Click on the blue “Next” button.
04. Additional Options
Enter the following information in the “Additional Options” screen.
- DS 160 Confirmation Number [Instruction: Enter your DS-160 confirmation number]
05. Interview Waiver
Enter the following information to determine if you are eligible for an interview waiver.
- Are you a citizen of <country> [Instruction: Select “Yes” if you are a citizen of the country where you are applying from]
- Do you have a previous B-1/B-2 visa (visitor for Business or Pleasure) issued on or after your 18th birthday? [Instruction: Select “No” if you have never applied for a US B1/B2 visa before]
Click on the “Next” button.
06. Manage Dependents
If you don’t have any family members applying for a US visa with you, you can click on the “Next” button to continue to the next steps.
IMPORTANT: Your dependents (family members) must apply for the same visa type and category as you, and at the same embassy/consulate. If they apply for a different visa type/category or a different embassy/consulate, they must schedule a separate appointment for themselves.
If you have any family members applying for a US visa along with you, then click on the “Find and Add Dependent” button and follow the steps outlined below from 06a-06g.
06a. Add Dependent
Click on the “Create New Dependent” button. This will take you to the “Dependent Contact Information” page.
06b. Dependent Contact Information
Enter the following information on the “Dependent Contact Information” page.
- First Name [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s given name as it appears in their passport. If they have a middle name, enter the middle name followed by their first name, separated by a space]
- Last Name [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s surname or last name as it appears in their passport ]
- Contact Email [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s contact email]
- Preferred Language [Instruction: Select your dependent’s preferred language]
Click on the “Continue” button. You will be taken to the “Dependent Applicant Details” page.
06c. Dependent Applicant Details
Enter the following information on the “Dependent Applicant Details” page.
Section: Applicant Details
- Relation to Applicant [Instruction: Select your dependent’s relationship to you from the options]
- [OPTIONS]
- Spouse
- Child
- Father
- Mother
- Daughter
- Son
- Other
- First Name [Instruction: Your given name will be automatically populated from the previous contact information page and you cannot edit it here]
- Last Name [Instruction: Your surname will be automatically populated from the previous contact information page and you cannot edit here]
- Country of Birth [Instruction: Select your country of birth]
RELATION TO APPLICANT: This can be confusing for some. Let me explain what option to choose:
- Spouse: If the dependent applicant is your wife or husband, select “Spouse”
- Child: If the dependent applicant is your child, less than 5 years old, select child instead of son or daughter
- Father: If the dependent applicant is your father, select “Father”
- Mother: If the dependent applicant is your mother, select “Mother”
- Daugther: If the dependent applicant is your daughter, select “Daughter”
- Son: If the dependent applicant is your son, select “Son”
- Other: If the dependent applicant is your sibling, select “Other”
If the dependent applicant is not an immediate family member, such as an uncle, aunt or friend, they will have to schedule their own appointment. You cannot add them as a dependent.
Section: Contact Information
- Home Phone [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s home phone number]
- Mobile Phone [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s mobile phone number]
- Email [Instruction: Your email will be automatically populated from the previous contact information page and you cannot edit it here]
Section: Mailing Address
- Mailing Street [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s mailing address number and street]
- Mailing City [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s mailing address city]
- Mailing State/Province [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s mailing address state]
- Mailing Zip/Postal Code [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s mailing address zip/postal code]
Section: Passport Details
- Passport Number [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s passport number]
- Passport Issuance Date (MM/DD/YYYY) [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s passport issue date]
- Passport Place of Issue [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s passport place of issue]
- Passport Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY) [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s passport expiry date]
- Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s date of birth]
- Nationality [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s country of passport]
- National ID [Instruction: Enter your dependent’s national ID]
NATIONAL ID: Even though the National ID is not mandatory, I recommend entering it to keep it consistent with your DS-160. Indian applicants can enter their Aadhaar number. Filipino applicants can enter their Philippine National ID.
Click on the “Visa Options” button.
06d. Dependent Visa Options
Except for the “Visa Class”, none of the information can be edited on this page. That is because the dependent must apply for the same visa type and category and at the same embassy/consulate.
If your dependent is applying for a different visa class, you can change that information and click on the “Additional Visa Options” button.
06e. Dependent DS-160 Confirmation Number
Enter your dependent’s DS-160 confirmation number. Then, click on the “Document Delivery” button.
06f. Dependent Document Delivery Options
Select the preferred passport pick-up options for your dependent and click on the “Update” button.
You will be taken back to the “Manage Dependents” page.
06g. Manage Dependents
If you have more dependents to add, you can repeat the process by clicking on the “Find and Add Dependent” button. If not, click on the “Next” button to continue to schedule to the appointment.
07. Document Delivery Options
On this screen, select your preferred passport delivery option. These options vary a bit from country to country.
After selecting your preferred payment option and entering the necessary details, click on the “Next” button.
08. Payment Options
On this screen, select your preferred visa fee payment option. These options vary depending on the country you are applying from.
On this screen, you will see different payment options. These payment options vary depending on the country you are applying from.
Select your preferred payment option or click on each option to see the instructions on how to make the visa fee payment.
Available Payment Options
- Payment using a credit or debit card
- Electronic fund transfer (EFT) from a local bank account
- Cash payment at a designated local bank
- Country-specific local payment options (mobile payments, wallets, etc)
Select your preferred “Payment Type”, check the box for “I acknowledge…” and click on the “Submit” button.
You will be taken to the “Payment Details” page. On this page, you can find the instructions or the option to continue with the payment type you’ve selected.
9a. Payment using a credit or debit card
This is the most straightforward payment option.
On the “Payment Details” page, click on the “Click Here for Pay with Credit/Debit Card” button.
You will be taken to the VFS Global payment page.
Enter your First Name, Last Name and Email. Click on the “Proceed to Pay” button.
You will be taken to the “Payment Disclaimer” page.
Read the disclaimer and click on the “Continue” button.
Follow the steps and make the payment using a credit or debit card.
9b. Electronic fund transfer (EFT) from a local bank account
On the “Payment Details” page, click on the “Click Here for Pay with EFT” button.
You will be taken to the VFS Global payment page.
Enter your First Name, Last Name and Email. Click on the “Proceed to Pay” button.
You will be taken to the “Payment Disclaimer” page.
Read the disclaimer and click on the “Continue” button.
You will be taken to the Payment Information page. Here you can print bank account details for your electronic fund transfer.
Click on the “View & Print Challan” button. Details necessary for your ETF transfer, such as beneficiary name, bank name, account number, and amount, will be displayed. You can save or print this page. You can then log into your bank account and make the transfer using these details.
You will be able to schedule your appointment on the next business day after the visa fee payment is made.
NOTE
You must transfer the correct amount. Incorrect amounts can lead to delays.
9c. Cash payment at a designated local bank
On the “Payment Details” page, click on the “Click Here for Cash/EFT Deposit Slip” button.
A fee deposit slip will be displayed. Print this slip and take it to the designated bank to make the visa fee payment in cash.
You will have two business days to make the payment. It may take up to 24 hours for the payment to reflect in your account.
9d. Country-specific local payment options (mobile payments, wallets, etc)
On the “Payment Details” page, click on the “Click Here to Pay with UPI” button.
You will be taken to the VFS Global payment page.
Enter your First Name, Last Name and Email. Click on the “Proceed to Pay” button.
You will be taken to the “Payment Disclaimer” page.
Read the disclaimer and click on the “Continue” button.
UPI QR Code will be displayed. You can scan this QR code and make the UPI payment with your preferred UPI mobile app.
Alternatively, you can enter your UPI ID and click on the “PAY NOW” button.
UPI payments are confirmed immediately. Therefore, you will be able to continue to schedule your appointment right away.
09. Claim Receipts
If you have made the visa fee payment using a credit/debit card, electronic fund transfer or in cash, you may have to wait up to 24 hours for the payment to reflect.
Wait 24 hours and log back in to your account. Click on “Schedule Appointment”.
You will be taken to the “Claim Receipts” page.
On this page, you will see the fee paid and a “Claim” button next to it. Click on this “Claim” button.
You will be taken to the “Schedule OFC Appointment” page.
10. Schedule OFC Appointment (applicable only in some countries)
On this screen, pick the date and time for your OFC appointment (fingerprints and photo appointment).
Click on “Continue”.
NOTE
An OFC appointment is ONLY REQUIRED in certain countries, such as India, Mexico, etc. This OFC appointment must be scheduled for at least 1 day ahead of your actual visa interview at the Embassy or Consulate.
11. Schedule US Visa Interview Appointment
On this screen, pick the date and time for your visa interview appointment.
Click on “Continue”.
12. Appointment Confirmation
On this screen, you will see your OFC and consular appointment confirmation. Print this confirmation as you will need to carry a copy of it for your OFC and consular appointments.
NOTE
The available US visa appointment dates can vary greatly from location to location. There may be several days of waiting in certain countries and cities. Before you book the US visa appointment, I recommend checking the current wait times at the Bureau of Consular Affairs website to get an idea of when you can find an available slot.
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How to cancel a US visa appointment?
You can cancel your visa appointment from your “Visa Applicant Home” page on the US Visa Scheduling website. You can click on the “Cancel Appointment” option in the left menu and follow the instructions to cancel your appointment.
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How to reschedule a US visa appointment?
You can reschedule your visa appointment from your “Visa Applicant Home” page on the US Visa Scheduling website. You can click on the “Reschedule Appointment” option in the left menu.
You will be taken to the OFC calendar page. Pick a new date and time for your OFC and consular appointments and click on the “Schedule Appointment” button.
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How to schedule an expedited appointment?
If you need to travel to the US urgently, you may qualify for an expedited US visa appointment. 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 a 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 that, 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.
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How to schedule a family appointment?
If you are traveling as a family, you can schedule a single visa appointment for the entire family. Follow the instructions below.
- Create just one profile/account for yourself (primary applicant) in the appointment system. Add your family members as “dependents”.
- 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.
- You must make the total visa fee payment for that receipt number.
- When the receipt number becomes active, you will be able to schedule a single appointment for the entire family.
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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.
The following activities can trigger an account freeze –
1. Going into the appointment page too often. You will usually see the message: “You are approaching the maximum number of times you may view this page” before an account freeze happens.
2. Leaving the appointment page open in other tabs/browsers while you do other work.
3. Logging into the appointment system from different devices such as laptops, phones, etc.
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, try 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 will be easy to find an appointment during those times.
I want to schedule my appointment in a different country from the country in my profile. How do I change this?
From September 2025, you are only allowed to schedule your appointment in your country of residence or nationality. The country on your profile defaults to the country where you are allowed to schedule your appointment.
During the registration process, make sure to select the correct country of your appointment.
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 look up 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 a 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 anymore. If you continue, your appointment will be canceled and your receipt number will become 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 in your country of residence or nationality
3) Your previous visa is still valid or expired within 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 by 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 you 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.
My visa was approved but the online status says 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 the visa is approved is quite normal. The US consulate would need to perform some final checks before placing 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.
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That’s it, folks! If you have any questions or are stuck at any step, feel free to comment here, email me or reach out to me on social media.
Anna says
Dear Thirumal, I just realized I made a mistake with my passport number and in the DS-160 is also wrong. So, my passport number starts PAO and I confused the O with a 0 (zero). I already have my appointment, what should I do? I don’t want to miss the appointment nor cancel it. Should I create a new DS-160 and attend the interview with the old and new DS-160? Should I let the officers know in advance about my passport number mistake or at the appointment?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Anna! If the details on your appointment are correct and it’s just the DS-160 that’s not correct, then you can fill out a new DS-160. Then carry both old and new DS-160 confirmations to your appointment. At the time of the appointment, mention that you have a new DS-160 and hand over the new one. They will scan the barcode on the new one and use that one for your interview.
Kittu says
Hi – me and my husband both are on h1 B. We have booked a drop box appointment as a family as we both are eligible. So we will go for the same appointment for both the H1s together. The appointment confirmation shows both of our visa slots correctly as H1. Do you see any issue here with the family appointment?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Kittu! That’s how the family appointments work even for a dropbox. So you guys are fine.
Raj says
I have a Q regarding the document submission for renewal of B1/B2 via DropBox. Do we need to submit only the documents listed on the dropbox confirmation checklist (appointment confirmation, DS160 confirmation, Photo, Old/New passports) or supporting documents as well (such as invitation letter, bank statements, tax returns, etc.)? Please help.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Raj! For dropbox, you will have to submit only the documents listed on the dropbox confirmation checklist. Supporting documents are not required for dropbox.
Deepa Sharma says
I am from India. I want to know if last week I submitted my fees. Daily I try to book the US Visa slot but OFC Slot is easily booked after when I go on the next interview page mention there the screen appears no slot is available again go back to OFC and booked a new OFC Slot. Please reply. I am very worried about this.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Deepa! The visa interview appointments in India are very limited, so it’s normal to run into this particular issue. You will find an OFC appointment but you will not be able to get a visa appointment. It’s normal at this time due to limited appointment availability, so no need to panic. Keep trying a few times in a day and you may find a slot.
DEJAPPA KORAGA says
Dear Thirumal, may you and this site be blessed with YASHASVI BHAVA!
On 07 Jun 2022 we (self and spouse) booked appointments for our B2 visa, and received the confirmation for 27 Oct 2023 (VAC) and 06 Nov 2023 (Consular appointment). When we booked, no earlier dates were available. Now earlier dates and slots (for the year 2022) are appearing. But when tried, the system ends up saying, “no appointments currently available”.
My query is:
1. Whether rescheduling the appointment to an EARLIER date (than the originally confirmed date) is permissible?
2. Somewhere I read that rescheduling is permissible for a FUTURE date only; it cannot be rescheduled for an earlier date. Is it so?
3. What is the effect of cancellation of an appointment? If we cancel our appointment, will it help getting earlier available dates?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Dejappa! 1. Yes. Rescheduling the appointment to an earlier date is allowed. In fact, appointments that far out in the future (Nov 2023) are placeholder appointments for those seeking emergency appointments. So those appointments that far out in the future will be canceled sometime later. So it is actually necessary for you to reschedule your appointment to an earlier date.
2. No. Not true. You can reschedule to an earlier date or future date. But dates in Nov 2023 will be canceled in a few months and then you are forced to schdedule again. Therefore, it’s necessary for you to schedule your appointment when you see an earlier date available.
3. No. It won’t. Reschedule only when you find an earlier appointment.
DEJAPPA KORAGA says
Thank you so much. I need some more help in this regard. We submitted DS-160 and paid visa payment in January this year with the intended date of travel being 05 June 2022. Since that date has passed, we will schedule the appointment when we get a date. Now the query is, before attending the interview, does DS-160 need to be revised with the travel date changed to a date subsequent to the date of the interview? Unless necessary, we do not want to touch DS-160. Please answer.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi DK! Yes, you must revise your DS-160 with your new travel dates. You can do that either before scheduling your appointment or before your visa interview. I suggest revising it now so you can update your profile in US Travel Docs with the new DS-160 confirmation number.
Once you schedule your interview you cannot update your US Travel Docs profile anymore. In that case, you will have to carry the confirmations of your old DS-160 and new DS-160. But if you revise it now and update your US Travel Docs profile before you schedule your interview, then you just have to carry the confirmation of your new DS-160.
JuliusH says
Hi! Thank you very much for all those detailed explanations! My boyfriend is renewing his H1B visa and has planned a vacation in France to do so. However, he just realized that the wait times were much too long. Is the option to cancel his current appointment in France (that he still booked) to take a sooner slot in another country a good one? Will that not confuse the system in any way? Because I’m guessing he would have to submit a new DS160 form to change the embassy? I’m worried this might be a little risky…
Considering he is reapplying for the same visa, is there any way around it? In order not to be stuck in France until his appointment (2 months later)? Thank you so much for your help!
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Julius! The visa fee is specific to that country. So he cannot use the fee paid in France for scheduling the appointment in another country. If the wait times are too long in France, he can schedule his appointment in another country (say Canada). It would be best if he can schedule his appointment from wherever he is right now before going to that country (say Canada). That way, he won’t be stuck in that country until his appointment.
There is no need to submit a new DS-160, even though the selected location is different. He can use the same DS-160 for his appointment anywhere. Selecting the location in DS-160 will send an alert to that consulate but the embassy will use the DS-160 confirmation that’s on your visa appointment or the one that you bring to the consulate during your interview.
Fenasi Kerim says
I am a Turkish citizen living in Austria. I need a B1/B2 visa for a conference in September (18th-23rd). The earliest interview appointment in Vienna/Austria varies between the 22nd of September and October. Unfortunately, conferences are explicitly ruled out for an expedited appointment. I am close to the Bratislava/Slovakia embassy, where earlier interview appointments are available.
1) Are there any disadvantages to applying in a country where you do not reside
2) How long will it take to get my passport back? (I would need to stay there since without a pass I cannot just simply go home)
3) In some countries, you cannot pick up your pass after processing – it is only shipped. What is the process in Bratislava? Do I need a shipment address there?
4) Most importantly, how should I proceed if I choose Bratislava as the interview location
Thank you very much in advance!
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Fenasi! 1) There are NO disadvantages. US embassies actually recommend applying at a different consulate/country if you are short on time.
2) Usually, you will receive your passport within a week after the interview. You would need to stay in that country that long. I have applied for US visas in other countries, and I usually plan a 2 week trip for the entire process.
3) These days, most countries have the option to pick up or delivered. Both would take the same time actually since the passports are picked up by the courier company in either option. After that, if you have opted to pick it up, then you will get an alert and you will have to go to the courier office to pick up your passport. If you have opted for delivery, you will get an alert with tracking info.
4) Follow this link to schedule your appointment in Bratislava. Keep in mind the fee can only be paid with a local card or bank deposit. So for paying the fee at a local bank, you must physically be present in Slovakia or take the help of a friend living in Slovakia. If it’s not too much to travel, you can go to Slovakia, pay the fee, come back and schedule your appointment. Then go to Bratislava on the day of the appointment and wait about a week there to pick up your passport.
Ram says
Hi Thirumal, thank you for such an informative article. I have a doubt – while I was filling out the DS160 form, I’ve mentioned the dates of traveling along with the hotel details for this year. Since I’m applying from UAE, I could only see the available appointment dates while making the payment. The next available appointment date is in 2023. Will this be an issue since my intended travel dates mentioned are for 2022 but the appointment would be in 2023? If I bring the flight tickets and hotel booking for 2023 for the interview, will this suffice? Many thanks
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Ram! You don’t need to bring any flight ticket or hotel booking for your interview. When you get an appointment, you can update your travel dates in your DS-160. I will guide you on how to do that. But appointments that far out usually get cancelled later. They are used as placeholders for those needing emergecy appointments. I suggest checkging the appointments for a few more days to see if you can find a appointment in the next 3 months. If not, then go ahead and book the one in 2023.
Kishore says
Hi, I added my dependents (3 – H4) in one profile and scheduled drop box appointment. When I check the appointment history, I can see only one applicant. Other 2 applicants (2 kids) will be part of that appointment or not?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Kishore! All 4 of you should be on the appointment confirmation. Have you paid the fee for all 4 of you? Do they hold Indian passports as well?
Chung Wai Keung says
I am asking this question for my wife who is applying for a J-1 visa. She has already submitted the DS-160 form. However, she has a problem setting up the user profile. The form showed: Error. Your request cannot be processed at this time. The site administrator has been alerted. We have tried all the ways but couldn’t make it work. Without being able to set up the profile, we cannot pay the fee. Thanks!
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Chung Wai Keung! This usually happens when there is a duplicate account in the system. You would need to contact US Travel Docs customer service. They can help you resolve this issue.
Sai Mohan says
Hi, my name is Sai Mohan. Please help me. I did a minor typo in my DS-160 that I already submitted and scheduled an appointment for my B2 visa. My parents also made changes to their DS-160, filled a new DS-160 for my father and mother, and got new DS-160 numbers. Next, I went to the ustravaldocs where the visa appointment was already scheduled. So I am trying to update my new DS-160 numbers. My profile and my father’s new DS-160 number were updated successfully. But my mother’s DS-160 update not showing. Where can I update my mother’s DS-160 number? Please help me. Thank you so much.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Sai Mohan! I’m assuming that you have entered both your father and mother as dependents on your application. In that case, you’ll have to create a new application and then go through the steps again. Then you will see the dependents’ information for your father and mother. You can click on them and edit their DS-160 numbers.
One other option is to leave the DS-160 numbers as is and just carry a print of both old and new DS-160 confirmations with you on the day of your appointment.
Archana says
Hi Thirumal, I have applied B2 visa application for my parents. And we paid the DS-160 form fee as well on May 4th. But I’m not able to schedule an OFC visa/interview. How long do they take? Please advise. Thank you.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Archana! Can you be more specific? Is your fee receipt not active or appointments are not available?
Riah says
Hi Thirumal! We are a family of four and we plan to travel to the USA in July. We got an interview waiver when we made an appointment online. But we don’t want it to use the waiver and we want to appear in the USA embassy in Muscat, Oman for a personal interview instead. Can we ask the US US Travel Docs customer service to activate our visa fee receipt and use it again for setting a new appointment? Thank you in advance.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Riah! Interview waivers are in place not just to waive interviews for those that are eligible but to also make the appointments available to those that need them. Also, the US embassies have relaxed the criteria for interview waivers a bit due to the pandemic. So, I believe requesting for an interview may not be possible if you already qualify for an interview waiver. Either way, contact US Travel Docs customer service to see if they can help.
Reena says
Hi Thirumal, could you guide me on the US Student visa – DS-160 Form.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Reena! My knowledge and expertise are only in tourist visas. If the DS-160 is same for student visa, then you can simply follow my DS-160 guide for instructions.
Nadir says
Hi Thirumal, I am applying for my mother’s appointment. Do I need to create an account or I can use mine to schedule the appointment?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Nadir! You will have to create a separate account for your mother. If you use your existing account for her, the system will consider you as the primary applicant.
Dee says
Hi, my husband had submitted a DS160 for visa in India. He again created another DS160 with another profile to apply in Singapore. The system detects that there are two profiles and does not allow him to schedule visa appointment in Singapore. How do we resolve this pls? Thanks for your pointers. Deepika.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Deepika! You will have to email US Travel Docs customer support to either (a) merge the accounts or (b) change the country on your old account and delete the new one. Only they can do this, so you will have to email them. They are quick in responding to such queries, so they will help you get this resolved quickly.
Ramanujam Mariappan says
Hi Thirumal, I have applied for the US non-immigrant visa H1B along with my family (Wife and 2 Kids) and we are eligible for dropbox. I have paid the fees for all through my account in a single receipt. But I haven’t been able to book an appointment so far due to slots being unavailable. My elder son is turning 14 this July 6th, in that case, does he need to attend the direct interview? If I need to schedule a separate appointment for him, is it possible to use the same receipt number?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Ramanujam! Generally, yes, anyone over 14 needs to attend the interview. If you book an appointment before he turns 14, you’ll be fine. If you have to book a separate appointment for him, unfortunately, you cannot use the same receipt number. You will have to create a new account and pay the fee again for him. You can chat with US Travel Docs customer service to see if they can transfer the visa fee to his account.
Taiwo says
I applied for a US visa in the year 2020 and was denied. I want to apply for a new visa this year but I have some challenges.
1. After completing my DS160, I moved to CGI portal to schedule an appointment. I clicked on the Update profile and input my data. The response from the portal was that my data matches existing information in their database.
2. I do not have access to the previous email address and I am now trying o use another email address. I have been logged in with the new email address but I don’t know if I am to click on New Application/Schedule an Appointment OR to click on Update Profile?
This is because I do not want to have double registration. Please how can I proceed on this? Is it a New Application/Schedule Appointment because the update profile is telling me that I have matching data on the database. Thanks so much for your help.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Taiwo! US Travel Docs (CGI portal) uses passport number, name, date of birth, etc. to see if there are any duplicate profiles in the system. If you have a duplicate profile, you must contact US Travel Docs customer care asking them to merge your accounts and use your new email id as the login. The customer service is responsive and they are usually quite helpful in such issues.
Anoop says
I am a working professional in Dubai. I filled DS-160 form for my entire family with Purpose of Travel: BUSINESS/PERSONAL (B1/B2) for tourist VISA. But I am not doing any business and not visiting the US for business purposes. Is this a valid purpose of travel for my profession? How do I change? I got my confirmation Page. If the above option is wrong, what to choose for tourist visa??
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Anoop! If you or your family will EVER travel to the US for any business purpose, then you can select B2, which is purely for vacation/tourism/visitor. But I usually recommend my readers to opt for B1/B2 even if they don’t have any plan for business travel in the near future. The reason is that US visas are issued for 10 years and you never know when you would need to travel to the US for business. If such an opportunity arises and you hold a B2 visa, then you cannot use your B2 visa to travel to the US. In that case, you would need to apply and get B1 visa.
To update your visa type in your DS-160, simply retrieve your DS-160 form and edit the visa type. After saving, you will get a new confirmation number. Print the new confirmation number. Do this for all your family members.
Jilu says
Hello Thirumal, I wanted a small help with the clarification regarding my US visa. I had applied for the US non-immigrant visa (B1/B2) with my family (me and my mother being dependants of my father), but due to certain travel restrictions I couldn’t travel as we planned, so we removed my name from the list of dependants and my parents proceeded with the interview and got their visas approved as well.
But since we all paid together as a family, we possess only a single receipt for the same. So now for me to schedule an interview and proceed further, do I need to pay the visa fee again? and have a new account created for myself on the ustraveldocs website?
I’ve also had some recent life updates, but since I’ve already submitted my DS-160 application for the same and received the confirmation as well, how may I make the necessary changes? Thank you for your help!!
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Jilu! I believe I responded to your queries on FB group already. But I will respond here too so it may be helpful to others in a similar situation.
If you were added as a dependent on your father’s application, then you would need to create your own account in order to schedule an interview for yourself. The fee paid is not transferable, unfortunately. So you would need to pay again. Before paying again, contact US Travel Docs to see if they can transfer the unused fee from your family application to your account.
If you have any life updates, you would need to edit your DS-160 and resubmit it with new info. If it’s been a while, then you cannot edit your DS-160. In that case, you must fill out a new DS-160 form. Either you edit or fill out a new DS-160 form, you will receive a new DS-160 confirmation number. You must use this new DS-160 confirmation number to schedule your visa interview.
DKhan says
Hi Thirumal, I applied for DS-160 selecting the location as UAE – Dubai. However, I selected Abu Dhabi for the purpose of my location for the interview. Is this ok or do now I would need to reschedule my appointment to Dubai? Thanks.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Dkhan! That’s absolutely fine. Your actual location of visa appointment DOES NOT have to be the same as the one you picked in your DS-160.
Anita says
Hi Thirumal, I scheduled an appointment for one of my clients for their DS-260. However, I used the wrong AA number. How can I correct that?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Anitha! You cannot edit the DS-160 confirmation number without canceling the appointment first. When someone updates the DS-160 after scheduling the appointment, they simply carry the confirmation of their new DS-160 so the visa office can scan and use that for the interview. You can have your client do something like that. Have your client carry a print of their DS-160 confirmation to the appointment and have the visa officer use that for the interview.
Jay says
I couldn’t find any visa Dropbox date in the CGI portal. I’m following last one month and couldn’t get any appointments. Please help on this.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Jay! Yeah, finding appointments is becoming extremely difficult these days. But I have been hearing that joining certain Whatsapp or Telegram groups run by other applicants have been very helpful in finding appointments. Google for such groups and join to see if that helps. Also, I have seen YouTube videos promising certain times of the day that works for finding open appointments. Do some research on YouTube as well.
Sile says
Hi Thirumal, I have a peculiar situation and would like your input. I am trying to apply for a B1/B2 visa for my mum from Lagos, Nigeria. I have completed the DS-160 form and made the payment. I am trying to schedule an appointment for her to go to the embassy for her interview but I do not see any dates. Simultaneously my friend who is also applying for her son can see dates for the same visa category at the same location. I have met two other people with this problem, we are never able to see dates no matter how hard or often we check. However, others can see the dates (like my friend I mentioned earlier).
I am convinced there is a profile-specific problem creating this situation. I have tried calling US embassy customer service countless times but their response is always the same which is to continue checking. Even after I mentioned to them that the dates are verifiably available if checked from other profiles but they are not able to provide any solutions. What do you think might be going on here and what can I do to resolve this? I will be grateful for your response and thoughts on this. Thank you.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Sile! Due to COVID restrictions, the appointments are very limited. Because of that, some are given priority due to certain criteria, such as students, business-related, medical-related, family emergency, etc. If others are also facing the same issue as you, it may not be an isolated issue. Are there any applying for a similar visa, similar purpose and still able to get appointment? Your friend’s son may not be a good case to compare as certain young applicants are eligible for an interview waiver.
Cindy says
Hi Thirumal, this was all very useful. I have a question and wonder your thoughts on this. My husband is a UK national. He had a green card and only just recently abandoned it as we relocated to the UK 2 years ago and then the pandemic prevented us from traveling to the states. As we were no longer living in the states we chose this path, my work does not allow us to be able to go back and forth and meet the requirements to maintain the green card status. I believe this is the reason his ESTA applications have been denied. So we are applying for a tourist visa to see my family in July. I haven’t been able to get home since pre-pandemic. I have been holding off to pay the fee as the first available appt that was showing was well after when we plan to go. Today, I saw the earliest available was May which was perfect so I proceeded to pay thinking I had secured the May appt. But after the payment was taken and I went to book, it was gone! Now there aren’t any appointments near our time to travel. Is this normal? I thought the earliest available showing up in May was fantastic as I have been checking daily and have never seen one that soon. Do you think I will have luck getting something before July? DO they randomly release earlier appts?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Cindy! Sorry for not responding sooner. Since the pandemic, US visa appointments especially for B1/B2 visas are very limited. Appointments are released sporadically and they are taken within seconds. Some readers were able to get their appointments using the following tricks. See if any of them will work for you.
– Join Whatsapp and Telegram groups in your country by people looking for US appointments. Applicants alert others when they see any appointments.
– Try at the following times of the day – 12.47am EST, 11.46pm EST, Sundays 8.50pm EST and Mondays 6.47pm EST. (* this sounds silly but some readers have mentioned that they were able to get appointments at these exact times)
Ronke says
Hello, I tried scheduling an appointment but when filling in dependants’ info, my spouse’s DS-160 confirmation number won’t update from the last time we submitted. However, I was able to change my kid’s DS-160 number.
Thirumal Motati says
Hey Ronke! Delete and re-add your spouse’s details again and see if that helps. If not contact US Travel Docs customer service.
Swapnil Pradhan says
Hi, I filled my DS-160 when I was in India on vacation. I hold an Indian Passport. However, I work in London, UK for the past three years and hold a work permit/resident permit in the UK. I haven’t booked my appointment in London as there are no slots available until August 22.
I have to attend the marriage of my friend in May who resides in Texas which is why I am planning to book my visa appointment in Qatar, Doha as they have the early slots available but don’t know what all steps to do. SO can you please help me with this and what all documents I should carry? How do I change my country when I go to book my appointment on the US embassy in Qatar? Does it by default take me to the India website as I had my account already registered with them. So what has to be done to avoid this? Also, if I book an appointment in qatar and travel to qatar, how much time does it take for visa processing after the appointment? Do you know if they have a fast service for foreign nationals?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Swapnil! The appointment process in Qatar is the same as in India. But if your account was already registered in US Travel Docs with India as your country, you must email them to change that to Qatar. Once they change your country, you can then pay the visa fee and schedule your visa appointment.
You can take the help of someone in Qatar to pay the visa fee, that way you can schedule your appointment while you are still in London. Then you can head to Qatar a day before your appointment. If you don’t know anyone in Qatar to pay the fee in a local bank, you will go to travel to Qatar first, pay the fee yourself in the local bank and schedule the appointment.
You need the same documents as you would need in India. Your passport, your appointment confirmation, your DS-160 confirmation and all other supporting documents. After the interview, if your visa was approved, you will be able to pick up your passport within 5-7 days.
Anand says
What is the rule/guidelines to avoid 72 hrs account freeze? Do we restrict the number of logins/day (or) the number of clicks per login (or) the total number of clicks in a given day? Some light on this can help.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Anand! Unfortunately, US Travel Docs wouldn’t disclose what triggers a 72-hour account freeze. The purpose of account freeze is to keep scammers/agents away and give opportunities to genuine applicants to find slots. But the system is not smart enough to figure out who is who and locks you out if it thinks your actions are suspicious. Usually, changing your home state often, logging into the account often, refreshing the page too many times are some of the triggers for a 72 hours freeze.
Murali says
Hi Thirumal, thanks for the detailed explanation provided above. I need some specific advice for the issue I am worried about and as described below
I tried scheduling a “family appointment” for both myself and my wife on the CGI website after creating my profile and to help us schedule one appointment for the US Visitor Visa interview in the desired Indian consulate and to help us appear for the interview together.
– On the payment page, it correctly mentions the total visa fee amount (for me and my wife) to be paid and also indicates correctly the Number of Applicants as 2
– In the Bank Advice Page which is used to make the Cash Payments at the Citi/Axis Bank branch, it mentions only the single CGI reference number and the total visa fee payment required (for both of us together)
– I am assuming that the bank will thus provide us one Receipt Number for the above total amount payment.
– If that is correct why does the payment page in the CGI Federal website at the bottom before we click “Continue” ask us to enter the Receipt Number for both of us separately against our Names for us to proceed with the appointment booking?
– I am worried that if I make the total payment and the Page does not accept the same Receipt Number against both our Names (because the Fees Required for a Person is Less than the Total Amount Paid by us against the Receipt Number Provided and hence the amounts does not match). It would then subsequently not allow me to go ahead with booking my appointment dates on the next pages of this website and as a result our total fee payment would thus go waste.
– I have not made the payment and waiting to hear from others on their experiences in such a situation before taking the next step.
Kindly help clarify my doubts. It would be nice to know if anyone else has faced this situation and solved the issue. Thanks a ton!
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Murali! You will have to enter the same receipt number for both. I know it’s confusing but that’s how it works. They really need to update their system to make this clear. Anyway, if you are looking for personal experiences, you can also post your question on the FB group to see if anyone has a similar experience.
Selva says
Hi Thirumal, can we merge/transfer the H4 appointment to the H1 appointment from two different interview locations? Or can H4 attend the interview along with H1 even though having two different appointments?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Selva! Unfortunately, US Travel Docs is not capable to schedule a family visa interview for multiple visa categories/classes. It does not allow selecting visa categories/classes for dependents and considers the visa category/class of the dependents the same as the primary applicant. The only option is to schedule two separate appointments. Or, you can contact their customer service and see if they have any other ways to handle this.
Rufael says
Hi Thirumal, thanks for the detailed explanation. I need appointment advice. Before I filling the form I need to know the appointment days and months because it is very helpful to arrange my days. How can I know the appointment schedule beforehand?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Rufael! You can only see the appointment availability after paying the visa fee. You can get a ballpark estimate of availability by looking up the current waiting times. Some agents maintain throwaway accounts to look up the exact availability for their clients. If you can get hold of such an agent, they may give you the exact availability.
John says
The embassy on my 160 form is different from the embassy where I will be interviewing. Is this okay?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi John! Yes, that’s absolutely fine.
Mujjammil Billah says
Hi, in my DS-160 form, my name is written in capital letters (XX, XXXX). But my spouse’s name is written in small letters (xx, xxx). In our passport, names are in capital letters. Will that be a problem?
Thirumal Motati says
HI Mujjammil! No, it won’t a problem. On the visa, they will be in capital letters anyway.
Jessica says
Hi, I have a question about my visa interview location in the US.
I am a Korean citizen currently living in the United States and recently got a work permit. So I am in the process of applying to renew my US visa so that I can visit my home country of Korea. My old student US visa expired a year ago. I filled out the DS-160 to make my visa interview appointment, but when I looked at the confirmation file, it says my interview location is the US embassy in my original country in Korea, even though I am currently in the US at this point. Is there a US location I can do this at in Los Angeles? It did not give me the option to choose a location in the US. It automatically gave me the location in Seoul Korea without any options to change my visa interview location to the US.
Thank you so much for your help!
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Jessica! You CANNOT renew or obtain a new US visa from within the US. You can change your status from within the US, which you have done already, from F1 to H1B. But to obtain a US visa (a visa sticker in the passport), you will have to schedule an appointment at a US consulate “OUTSIDE the US”. It doesn’t have to be your home country Korea, it can be a neighboring country such as Canada or Mexico. But since you plan on going to Korea anyway, you can continue to schedule your appointment in Korea.
I’m guessing that you have mistakenly selected Korea as your location in your DS-160. This is usually the very first step in filling DS-160 and many make this mistake. But do not worry, this is not going to be a problem. Even though your DS-160 stays “Korea” as your preferred interview location, you can still use it to schedule your appointment in any country.
Just like you, I’ve lived in the US on H1B visa. I renewed my US visas twice from Canada. I know many who did that from Mexico as well. If you prefer this option, you can schedule the interview in Mexico or Canada while you are still in the US. Just fly there a day before your interview, complete your interview and wait a few days to pick up your passport. Then you can fly back to the US.
Jessica says
Hi Thirumal. Thank you. You cleared my head! That’s wonderful advice to get an interview near Mexico or Canada, pick up the visa and fly back to the US. So there is another question. Usually how long does it take to get a visa on a passport? I have an O1 visa. Do you have any visa interview tips and what kind of questions do they focus on? Thank you so much for your help!
Thirumal Motati says
Usually, you will be able to pick up the passport in 4-5 working days. So, in total, I would say about 7 days, starting from the interview to picking up the passport. I’m not familiar with the questions for an O1 visa. But for H1B (work visa), the questions were mostly on what company I work for, my role, my job duties, how long I’ve been working for them, my qualifications, my major/minor in my degree, etc.
If the officer is friendly, they would even have a few friendly questions on where you live in the US, how do you like it, etc. I had a similar experience in Montreal, the officer I had was very friendly. But the officer in Vancouver was grumpy and loud. So it all depends on the officer, but in the end, they won’t make it difficult for you.
Mani K says
Hi Thirumal, I don’t understand how to change the prepopulated field for Mumbai consulate, whereas I did not select Mumbai while filing out DS-160 nor in the CGI portal. Do you have any idea, how can I change that to Delhi consulate? Thanks
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Mani K! The consulate field is populated based on your residencial address. The system will determine the nearest consulate for you. But once you get past the fee payment and about to select your appoitment date, you will have the option to select a different consulate.
Rita says
Hi Thirumal, thanks for such a thoroughly informative article. I am trying to book an interview appointment in Nairobi, Kenya. I’m at the payment step of the application where it shows me the amount to pay but it doesn’t give me an option to pay the fee. Below that it says there are no appointments available and to check back in a few days. So is it because there’s no appointment available that I cannot pay? Or should I find another way to pay then keep checking back on that site to see if any appointments open up?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Rita! As far as my experience goes, you should be able to pay even if the appointments are not available. But I’m not aware if that has changed as embassies are being closed due to covid. Since the US embassies are either closed or have very limited appointments available, the payment of the fee may now be dependent on the appointment available. I suggest contacting customer service to confirm if that was the case.
sindhu somaraju says
Hi Thirumal, thank you for the article. I have a question, I currently live in the US and I am on H1B and applying for US Visa in Canada. I am stuck at a step in the application, can you help me here? I am going to Canada just for the visa and what do I fill here. I am planning on staying in Canada hotel for 3-4 days. Also do I need to apply for Canadian visitor visa?
care of:
address:
zipcode: only Canada zip code?
province:
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Sindhu! I have been to Canada twice to get my US visa when I was in the US on my H1B. But I don’t remember entering any address either US or Canadian. I opted for passport pickup instead of passport delivery. After a few days of my interview, I had my passport ready for pickup from the courier office. I went to the courier office and picked up my passport. Not sure why the portal is asking for address information. Can you send me a screenshot, so I can understand properly?
And yes. You must have a valid Canada tourist visa to travel to Canada. Keep in mind that the Canadian tourist visa process can take up to 30 days.
Khyati says
Hello, my parents’ biometric for B1/B2 visitor visa is done. The interview got canceled at the end time because of lockdown. Now they renewed their Indian passport that was about to expire. The main problem now is – biometrics was done with the old passport and DS-160. Do I need to fill a new DS-160 for updating their new passport details or what? Or can attend the interview with old details? Or need to schedule both biometric and interview with new DS-160 having updated passport details. Will appreciate your reply. Kindly help. Thanks.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Khyati! There are two things here –
1) New DS-160: Since the visa interview is already canceled, you may be able to update the passport number and DS-160 confirmation number in the visa appointment system (US Travel Docs). Give it a try and see if those two fields are editable. If yes, then first fill new DS-160s for your parents with new passport numbers. Then update DS-160 confirmation numbers in US Travel Docs with the new ones. Also, update the passport numbers to the new ones.
2) Biometrics: I believe biometrics are specific to a person and not specific to a passport. But I don’t have enough knowledge to confirm this. I suggest contacting US Travel Docs customer service in India to confirm. They are usually quick in responding to such questions.
Richa says
Hi, I have filled the DS-160 form and then through the CGIfederal website for filling the form of visa. I am applying for B1/B2 visa. But there are no appointment dates available. It is showing for January but my conference is in November. Please help me.
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Richa! Due to COVID, most US consulates around the world are taking only emergency appointments for B1/B2 visas. If your reason to travel falls under one of the urgent categories, you can request an expedited appointment. Not sure from which you are applying, but here is the info on how to request an expedited appointment in India.
Dickson says
Hi, I have submitted a family visa application already, and have paid and scheduled an interview. Is it possible for me to add another member in my DS-160 form even though I have to pay the extra fee?
Thirumal Motati says
Hi Dickson! If you have already paid the visa fee and scheduled the interview, you cannot add another applicant. You can, but that requires you to cancel your appointment, add the other member as your dependent, pay the fee for the other member and reschedule the appointment. You must also fill/edit DS-160 for yourself by adding the other member as your travel companion and fill a new DS-160 for your other member. Due to all these complexities, I suggest getting in touch with US Travel Docs customer service first. If there is a proper way to do this, they will walk you through the process or will do this from their end on your behalf.