Highlights
- All visa appointments scheduled now are genuine appointments that may be rescheduled if applicants find earlier appointments but will not be cancelled by the US Embassy and Consulates outside of extraordinary circumstances, said the representative.
- However, the US Embassy has very strict criteria to qualify for emergency appointments on www.ustraveldocs.com, the rep added.
- Some visa applicants may not need to appear in person for an interview until the end of December 2022, according to a statement from the US Embassy in India.
As the world enters a pandemic recovery mode, the after-effects can be seen in form of the historical backlog in visa applications which has curtailed the mobility of people both in India and abroad.
Especially in the US, they had halted almost all visa processing worldwide, which has now resulted in an 800-day delay in visa appointments. Yes, you read that right. Following the news, the internet and visa applicants alike expressed their annoyance at the delay. And, it soon made headlines across the country.
What has the US embassy said?
But now, the embassy, on its website, clarified that it is now scheduling appointments in every visa classification. Whatever delay or cancellation took place in 2021 is a thing of the past and no such thing will affect your visa at this moment, a representative of the Embassy has informed Mint.
All visa appointments scheduled now are genuine appointments that may be rescheduled if applicants find earlier appointments but will not be cancelled by the US Embassy and Consulates outside of extraordinary circumstances, said the representative.
Those who wish to request an emergency non-immigrant visa
Anyone who wishes to request an emergency non-immigrant visa appointment must schedule a first-timer (walk-in) appointment and then they may submit an emergency appointment request for consideration. However, the US Embassy has very strict criteria to qualify for emergency appointments on www.ustraveldocs.com, the rep added.
“We cannot expedite interview waiver appointments in any visa classification. Visa applicants with an existing interview waiver appointment and you wish to request an emergency appointment, you must first cancel your existing interview waiver appointment, then make a first-timer (walk-in) appointment, and then request the emergency appointment,” the representative also said.
If your emergency visa request is denied
“It must include pertinent documentation. Please remember that if your request is denied, you cannot revert to your original interview waiver appointment, but you could reschedule back into a new interview waiver appointment if desired, though likely at a later date than your original appointment,” said the representative.
Some visa applicants may not need to appear in person for an interview until the end of December 2022, according to a statement from the US Embassy in India. However, the authorization does not apply to applicants whose applications have previously been rejected and the rejection has not since been reversed or waived. A face-to-face interview may be requested by adjudicating consular authorities if additional information from applicants is required.
Those eligible for an interview waiver
Candidates are still eligible for the interview waiver if they renew their visas within 48 months of their expiration. All visa categories have a high demand for appointments, and due to reduced staffing and numerous pandemic-related operations disruptions since March 2020, wait times may be extended for the majority of routine nonimmigrant visa appointments at the US Embassy in New Delhi and the consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
