Visa Traveler

Exploring the world one country at a time

  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Visa Guides
  • Resources
  • Contact

US visa CGI account frozen for 72 hours: What causes it and how to prevent it?

Published: June 15, 2022 41 Comments

US visa CGI account frozen for 72 hours

With the limited availability of US visa appointments, it’s already a pain to find an appointment for your visa interview. You have to check for available appointments several times a day, even at odd hours such as late nights or early mornings. And, on top of that, it’s quite frustrating if your US visa account is frozen for 72 hours for suspicious activity. 

When your CGI account is frozen, you are often presented with the following error message.

“Your account has been frozen for suspicious activity, and you will not be able to access it for up to 72 hours. Your account will be unfrozen automatically after that time. Our call center agents will not be able to assist you with unfreezing your account or scheduling your appointment until then.”

Having your CGI account frozen for 72 hours is frustrating and discouraging. It crushes your hopes. Especially when you haven’t done anything suspicious. You were only trying to book an appointment for your visa interview. What’s suspicious about it? You weren’t trying to game the system or hack someone’s account. It’s your own account. You paid $160 for the fee, not a small amount. You deserve to book an appointment. 

I hear you. I have been there. I know why it happens and how to avoid it. In this article, I will explain why a CGI account gets frozen for 72 hours, how to prevent it and if there are any options to unfreeze a frozen account. 

***

What does it mean by a CGI account frozen for 72 hours?

Your visa appointment (also called CGI Federal or US Travel Docs) account is frozen for 72 hours when you see the following message on your account. 

“Your account has been frozen for suspicious activity, and you will not be able to access it for up to 72 hours. Your account will be unfrozen automatically after that time. Our call center agents will not be able to assist you with unfreezing your account or scheduling your appointment until then.”

When you see the above message, your visa appointment account is locked for 72 hours and you cannot log back in for at least 72 hours. 

The 72 hours is calculated from the first time you see the error message. So any repeated login attempts will not prolong the time. Any attempt to change the password will not extend the time either. 

Related: How to schedule a US visa interview – A step-by-step guide

***

Why does a CGI account freeze for 72 hours?

US visa CGI federal account frozen for 72 hours due to suspicious activity

The main reason why this is in place is to prevent agents and bots from gaming the system and taking away the opportunity for individual applicants to book appointments that they deserve. 

Agents that deal with US visa applications often have a pool of “placeholder” accounts. They use these accounts to look up and hold appointments. Since these accounts are used to view the availability and/or hold appointments but never to actually attend an appointment, they are repeatedly used for months and years. Some agents use bots to automate this activity. 

Here is an example of why these agents use such placeholder accounts. The US visa fee is $160 and is valid for one year. If an agent can find appointments for 10 applicants and charge $100 each, that is a $1,000 return from a $160 investment. That’s a very good return on investment. So depending on how many clients they have and how big their business is, they maintain tens or even hundreds of such placeholder accounts.

If you think about it, this practice of looking up or holding appointments can lead to limited or unavailability of appointments for those that genuinely need them. 

CGI Inc., the software company that built and maintains the US visa appointment systems, has features to curb such practice. When the CGI Federal system senses that an account is often used to look up availability or hold appointments more often than necessary, it flags the account suspicious and freezes it for 72 hours. 

Now, there isn’t an easy way to determine whether an account is a real account or some agent’s placeholder account. So the criteria for flagging suspicious accounts can sometimes freeze real accounts. And that’s also a reason why the accounts are temporarily frozen for 72 hours instead of permanently banning them. 

CGI Federal is actively working on making its systems more efficient but as of now, a few extra clicks or lookups can flag your account as suspicious and can get your CGI Federal account frozen for 72 hours. 

***

How to unfreeze CGI account?

The only way to unfreeze CGI account is to wait 72 hours. But there have been instances where the accounts were released/unfrozen after 24 hours. Therefore, wait about 24 hours and then access your account. Trying once every 24 or 36 hours will help figure out if your account is unfrozen and you can log back in. 

Any attempts to log in while your account is frozen will not reset the clock or extend the frozen time. So there is no harm in trying to log in once every 24 or 36 hours. 

Also, contacting customer service or changing password will not unfreeze your account. Creating a new account and paying the fee again will not work either, since the new account will be flagged as a duplicate as most of the information will be identical to the frozen account.

Therefore, there is no option other than waiting 72 hours. The smart option is to prevent an account freeze. 

***

How to prevent a CGI account freeze for 72 hours?

US Visa CGI Federal Appointment Availability

Your US visa account might freeze for many reasons. Only the developers at CGI Federal would know the exact reasons. Below is the list of activities that I think are considered suspicious by CGI Federal. Avoiding these suspicious activities will prevent your CGI account from freezing for 72 hours. 

DISCLAIMER
The below list is based on my own personal experience and knowledge. Only the developers at CGI Federal know what activities constitute suspicious. Therefore, we shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies.  

—

Suspicious Activity 1: Concurrent logins

Your visa account is frozen for 72 hours if CGI Federal notices that you have logged into your account concurrently. Concurrent logins indicate that your account may be a placeholder account and several people are using it to view appointments. 

Here are some of the ways to avoid concurrent logins.

1. Do not share your login information with others

It’s not an uncommon practice to share login information with family and friends to maximize the chances of finding an appointment. But this can backfire as concurrent logins are considered suspicious activity. Do not share your login information with others. 

2. Use only one browser for your CGI account

Logging into your CGI account from different browsers and not properly logging off can seem like concurrent logins. Always use only one browser on your computer to log into your CGI account. 

3. Log off completely after you view the available appointments

Keeping the tabs or browsers open or closing them without properly logging off can keep the sessions alive on the server. These may seem like concurrent logins. Always log off completely after you are done using your CGI account. 

—

Suspicious Activity 2: Logging in from different devices

Your visa account is frozen for 72 hours if CGI Federal notices that you have been logging into your account from different devices. Similar to concurrent logins, logging in from different devices may raise red flags suspecting that your account may be a placeholder account. 

Here are some of the ways to avoid logging in from different devices.

1. Use only one device, preferably a computer/laptop

A US visa is a serious endeavor and you should use a computer or laptop for your visa application and appointment booking. Mobile phone screens are too small and they can be cumbersome to handle an activity such as booking a US visa appointment. 

Whichever device you pick, make sure to use the same device throughout the visa appointment booking process. 

2. Always use the same computer/laptop 

If you prefer to use a computer/laptop for booking your US visa appointment, use the same computer/laptop for logging into your account every time. 

If you prefer to share your login with someone at home so you can look up appointments round the clock, have them use the same computer/laptop. Divide up your time into blocks and have each of you use the same laptop in that block of time. 

—

Suspicious Activity 3: Performing more than 12 actions in one session

Performing more than 12 actions in one session will not right away result in an account freeze, but will result in getting blocked from viewing the appointments until 12am EST the next day. 

If you are close to performing 12 actions, you will be presented with a “you are approaching the maximum number of times you may view this page…” message. 

When this message is shown, simply finish booking your appointment or log off completely. And, do not log back in for at least 6 hours, otherwise, you risk getting your CGI Federal account frozen for 72 hours. 

RELATED: You are approaching the maximum number of times: What causes this error and how to avoid it?

—

Suspicious Activity 4: Logging in more than 4 times in a day

Logging into your CGI account way too many times in a day can also freeze your account. But how many times is way too many times?

How many times can you login to CGI Federal in a day?

You can login to CGI Federal up to 4 times a day. Logging in more than 4 times a day can trigger suspicious activity which can lead to your CGI account frozen for 72 hours. If you are going to check your appointments 24×7, then space your logins at least 6 hours apart.

***

Conclusion

It’s already a pain to find an appointment for your US tourist visa due to limited availability. On top of that, it’s frustrating if your US visa account gets frozen for 72 hours. You are often presented with the following message when your account is frozen.

“Your account has been frozen for suspicious activity, and you will not be able to access it for up to 72 hours. Your account will be unfrozen automatically after that time. Our call center agents will not be able to assist you with unfreezing your account or scheduling your appointment until then.”

The only way to unfreeze your CGI account is to wait 72 hours. Contacting customer service or changing password will not unfreeze your account. The wisest option is to prevent an account freeze. 

As per my experience, activities such as concurrent logins, too many actions in a given session or too many logins in a day can all constitute suspicious activities.

Is your CGI account frozen for 72 hours? What activities do you think triggered it? And, how long did you have to wait? Let me know in the comments below.

WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI

Thirumal Motati

Thirumal Motati is a world traveler and digital nomad from India. He is on a mission to travel to every country in the world on his Indian passport. He believes that his weak passport cannot stop him from traveling the world. Through this blog, he inspires many to take up the life of travel despite their weak passports. His guidance has helped many secure their visas and fulfill their travel dreams.

PLAN YOUR TRAVEL WITH VISA TRAVELER

I highly recommend using these websites to plan your trip. I use these websites myself to apply for my visas, book my flights and hotels and purchase my insurance.

01. Apply for your visa
You can get a verifiable flight itinerary for your visa application from DummyTicket. Flight itineraries from DummyTicket are valid for 2 weeks and works for all visa applications.

02. Book your fight
You can find the cheapest flight tickets using Skyscanner. Skyscanner includes all budget airlines and you are guaranteed to find the cheapest flight to your destination.

03. Book your hotel
You can book your hotel from Booking.com. Booking.com has pretty much every hotel, hostel and guesthouse from every destination. Use Vrbo for long-term rentals.

04. Get your onward ticket
If traveling on one-way ticket, you can get your proof of onward flight from Expedia. Expedia offers free cancellation on tickets booked within 24 hours. Or use OnwardTicket to get a proof of onward ticket in just 2 minutes.

05. Purchase your insurance
You can purchase travel insurance for your trip from SafetyWing (for short or long trips) or VisitorsCoverage (for US trips).

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.

RELATED POSTS

  • 7 benefits of US visa (that will make you want to get a US visa today)
  • US visa CGI error - You are approaching the maximumYou are approaching the maximum number of times: What causes this CGI error and how to avoid it?
  • How to Fill DS-160 Form Online for US visaHow to enter full name in native alphabet in DS-160 form

Loading 41 Comments... Please Wait.

About Me

About Thirumal Motati, founder and travel writer at visa traveler
Hi! I’m Thirumal Motati. I’m on a mission to travel to every country in the world on my “weak” passport. As a digital nomad, I have been traveling full-time for over 6 years. My knowledge and experience have helped many secure their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. Want to learn how to travel the world on a weak passport? Start here

Get verifiable flight ticket for visa application from dummyticket
Rent an onward ticket at OnwardTicket

Recent Posts

  • How to get Turkey e-Visa – An easy step-by-step guide
  • How to get Vietnam E-Visa – An easy step-by-step guide
  • 7 benefits of US visa (that will make you want to get a US visa today)
  • You are approaching the maximum number of times: What causes this CGI error and how to avoid it?
  • US visa CGI account frozen for 72 hours: What causes it and how to prevent it?

Explore

  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Visa Guides
  • Resources
  • Contact

Legal

  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • Disclaimer
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow

Search this site

Copyright © 2023 · Visa Traveler LLC · All Rights Reserved Worldwide