Scheduling a US visa appointment is a crucial step in the visa application step which is done immediately after completing the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application.
Before any applicant who is a non-citizen or permanent resident of the United States can access the United States, they are required by the US Department of State to book an interview with the consulate to verify their identity, eligibility, and intent as provided in the DS-160 form.
Scheduling a US visa appointment does not require an individual to be in their home country nor must the interview be done in their home country.
A US visa interview can be conducted anywhere in the world, and also not necessarily in the country in the DS-160 form if the individual is no longer in the said country.
However, the waiting time for a US visa interview varies from one country to another, and not all countries have a US embassy or consulate.
In such a situation, you are expected to travel to any neighboring country for your interview.
In this article, we will provide you with a complete guide on how to schedule a US nonimmigrant visa appointment.
Scheduling A US Visa Appointment
A US visa appointment can be done on different websites, depending on the location of the applicant.
Different continents and countries have different websites where applicants can apply for a visa interview.
One of the most populous platforms is the CGI Federal (US Travel Docs).
The CGI Federal can be used in
ASIA
- China
- Bangladesh
- Indonesia
- Isreal
- India
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Phillippines
- South Korea
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
AFRICA
- Algeria
- Ghana
- Ethiopia
- Angola
- Gambia
- Egypt
- Burkina Faso
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Liberia
- Morocco
- Sierra Leonne
- Tunisia
MIDDLE EAST
- Bahrain
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
EUROPE
- Austria
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Denmark
- Slovakia
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Georgia
- Hungary
- Finland
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Latvia
- Moldova
- Ukraine
OCEANIA
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Fiji
CENTRAL AMERICA
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Honduras
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Nicaragua
CARIBBEAN
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
Create an Account on the CGI Federal
On the USTravelDocs website, you will be required to create an account if you do not have one; if you do have one, you can proceed to log in.
While creating an account, ensure the information such as your full name corresponds with your passport.
You will also be required to input a password, and an email address to receive your appointment date.
Select your Location
Suppose your location falls under any of the listed continents and countries on the USTravelDocs websites. In that case, you should proceed to select the embassy or consulate where you will be available to attend the visa interview.
Select Visa Type
Different types of nonimmigrant visas signify the purpose of the visit.
- B-1/B-1 Visa: Tourism, business, visiting
- F-1 Visa: Academics
- M-1 Visa: Vocations
- J-1 Visa: Exchange visitors
- H-1B Visa: Specialty occupations such as healthcare, tech, scientist
- L-1 Visa: Intracompany Transferees such as executives, managers
- 0-1 Visa: Extraordinary talents such as arts, athletics
- E-1/E-2 Visa: Investors
- H-2A/B Visa: Temporary agricultural workers
- Diversity Visa: Lottery-based visa
- T Vis; Human trafficking visa
- U Visa: Victims of crime assisting law enforcement agencies.
- A-1/A-2 Visa: Diplomats and foreign government officials
- G-1/G-2/G-3/6-4 Visa; International organization staff and officials
Fill out the Application Form
After choosing the visa type, you should proceed to fill out the DS-160 form for a nonimmigrant visa.
Pay the Application Fee
The visa application fee varies based on the type of visa you are applying for (nonimmigrant or immigrant visa).
Payment can be made online or at designated local banks or centers, after payment, a receipt will be generated which will be required during the visa interview.
Schedule a US Visa Appointment
After filling out the DS-160 form and paying the visa application fee, you will be required to log in to your account using your login details.
After that, you will be required to pick the visa type, choose the consulate or embassy where you wish to have an interview, and select a convenient date from the options given.
When done with this process, an email will be sent to you to confirm an appointment.
Attend your Visa Interview In Person
You will be required to attend the visa interview, dress professionally, and be ready to communicate your intent to travel to the consulate clearly and briefly.
You will also be required to be present with the following documents.
- Passports
- Printed DS-160 form
- Visa payment receipt
- Visa appointment confirmation page
- Supporting documents such as proof of funds, birth or marriage certificates, employment letters, proof of family ties, etc.