Apr 10, 2023
16 min read
A US visa interview is a must for most foreign citizens to get their visa approved. You will have to schedule and go for a visa interview for a nonimmigrant visa, such as a tourist visa.
A few pointers before we discuss everything in detail:
- The first thing you should know about US visa interviews is that the US government interviews every applicant as a potential immigrant during the nonimmigrant visa application process.
- The applicant must convince the consular officer otherwise and prove that they will return to their home country.
- You must conduct the consular officer that you do not wish to stay longer than the validity of their visitor visa.
Let us talk in-depth about the US visa appointment, how to get one, and all the nitty-gritty details in the blog.
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I have broken down the steps to explain to you exactly what you can expect when booking your US visa appointment.
The first step toward making the US visa appointment is filling out the [Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application or DS-160)(https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/).
Next, you must complete your online form and complete the necessary steps, including uploading the required information about your travel and paying the visa application fees.
Once you have carried out the required steps, the US Embassy Visa Application Center (VAC) will process your visa application form.
The visa processing can take a few days or a few weeks, depending on the visa category you applied for, the country you are applying to, and the purpose of the visa.
After the VAC completes the visa processing, they will contact you to make an appointment for your visa interview or biometrics. You might be required to make two different appointments for biometrics and a visa interview.
This will depend on the country and visa category, and the VAC will advise you accordingly. In the case that you can have the biometrics done on the visa appointment date, then you do not need to make two different appointments.
You can make the appointment by calling or contacting the US Embassy or VAC in your country. You can also make an appointment online by visiting theOfficial US Department of State Visa Appointment Service.
The visa application process can be lengthier for immigrant visas and requires different steps. The scheduling of the interview visa will depend on the National Visa Center (NVC).
The NVC will organize the scheduling of your fingerprint and appointment for a visa interview. However, it is crucial that you check this requirement from the country you are applying from, as it differs in some countries.
Many visa applicants require to schedule an appointment for their biometrics, but not all visa applicants do. Therefore, if the visa category you applied for requires biometrics and you fail to book an appointment, your visa can be rejected.
A biometric may include fingerprints, an iris scan, and a digital photograph of the applicant.
Additionally, applicants that are younger than 14 and over 79 years do not need to provide their fingerprints.
In some countries, applicants need to schedule a biometric appointment with the receipt number after making the online visa payment. For most nonimmigrant visas in other countries, the applicant’s biometrics might be taken on the visa interview date.
After you have made the payment, you will be contacted regarding whether you qualify for a biometric appointment. If you are not contacted or do not qualify for a biometric appointment, you must schedule a regular interview date.
After you have completed all the fields and created a password on the online portal, you will be able to see on the dashboard if you have qualified for the biometric. Once the “Schedule a Biometrics Appointment” tab is visible, you must click on it and make your appointment.
On the day of your appointment, you must bring:
If you are renewing your visa, you must bring:
In case you do not carry these items, you might not get the visa approved or accepted for biometrics.
Note that visa categories A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, C-3, and NATO applicants are exempted from the fingerprint scan requirement.
Usually, the applicant does not reschedule the US visa interviews because of the wait times and availability. However, rescheduling the visa interview is not unheard of. You must reschedule your visa interview date at least three working days prior to your appointment date.
You can reschedule a nonimmigrant visa appointment by calling VAC or changing the date and time online. To reschedule, you must provide a valid reason for the US Embassy to take it into account.
You can reschedule an immigrant visa appointment by
You must remember that rescheduling will move your appointment further. Meaning the visa process will take much longer to get approved.
You can only reschedule twice in certain countries, excluding the original interview appointment to accommodate other applicants’ requests.
After the initial appointment, the applicant can change the interview dates twice. Additionally, the applicant can only reschedule a new date after waiting 90 days following the second rescheduling attempt.
If you have any other questions or want to read more articles on the US, check out our US country page on Atlys.
Applicants do not need a medical exam for some nonimmigrant visas, visitor visas, or short-term stays. For example, citizens of countries with Visa Waiver Programs in the US do not require a medical examination.
However, suppose you are applying for an immigrant visa or a long-term visa. In that case, you will be required to get a medical examination from an authorized physician in the county you are applying from.
You must always check the requirements for your visa application. If a medical examination is required for the visa category, you are applying for.
Remember to do the medical examination at least 7 days before your interview date and by a physician accredited by the US Embassy. In your country, you can look for an authorized physician on the US Embassy website.
Here is a list of documents that would be helpful to bring with you for your medical examination:
These documents could be current or past medical records, illnesses, or vaccinations.
You must go through all of these medical exams, and the physician will hand the report to you in a sealed envelope. The medical tests that you will undergo are:
After your medical examination has concluded, you must make an appointment with the physician to collect your medical records. You must collect your medical report on the appointed date.
The medical report will be in a sealed envelope, which you MUST NOT OPEN. Remember to check whether you need to collect the results, as physicians in some countries send the medical report straight to the US Embassy or Consulate.
You must bring the sealed medical report to your US visa appointment and hand it to the US consular officer conducting your interview.
You do not need to bring your chest X-rays for the interview; however, you must carry them on your flight to the US. This is because the US Homeland Security and the US Customs and Border Protection officers might ask you for them at the port of entry.
The medical examination is valid for 6 months from the date conducted. However, if you have specific medical conditions, your medical examination report can expire in as little as 3 months. Additionally, you must also carry the medical report when you first travel to the US.
After making the visa appointment and completing your biometric and medical examination, you need to prepare for your actual visa interview. It is vital that you are well-prepared and have all the required documents for the visa interview.
The documents that you must carry with you on your visa interview date are:
Remember that the documents mentioned above are basic documents. Depending on the type of visa you applied for, the supporting documents might change. Different supporting documents might be required for each visa case, and you must check for them with the US embassy in your country. It would be beneficial for the visa interview to take all the documents you think will help your visa application process.
The US Embassies or Consulates get hundreds of thousands of visa applications each year. So, the US Embassy or Consulate provide the estimated wait times on their official websites.
The estimated times do not guarantee the availability of an appointment in the time frame.
Additionally, visa processing also depends on the number of applications received and the staffing available to handle the applications. However, it is advised that you book an appointment for your visa interview as soon as possible. Early booking will ensure that you get the date and time for the US visa appointment you want.
Another thing to note is that the visa processing time could be three days on the website. However, it depends on the type of visa, the specific visa case, and the circumstances surrounding the visa application. For nonimmigrant visa applicants, it is advised that they make a booking three months in advance of their intended travel date.
You also remember that the processing time for the visa application does not include receiving the passports and the documents or returning them via courier services. Generally, applicants are advised to wait at least 180 days from the interview date or submission of supplemental documents except in case of an emergency.
Most people that wish to apply for an immigrant visa must go for an interview. However, there are certain cases when you can get a US visa without attending an in-person interview at the US Consulate.
Let us have a look at the conditions for a US visa interview waiver:
You can have your US visa appointment waived by calling the US Embassy Visa Application Center (VAC), the National Visa Center (NVC), or choosing an option on the online portal.
But this does not apply to all citizens from all foreign countries. You must first meet the eligibility to have your visa interview waived in addition to applying for a specific visa. Other factors that play a role are age and even the country you are applying from.
The wait time is over; after your visa application is processed and approved for the next step, you will be asked to schedule the visa interview appointment. You will be required to be present for the interview and pass it to get your visa approved.
Understandably, many things would be running through your mind before the interview. However, the following questions will help you understand the interview process better and ease your mind.
For the interview, it is advised that you reach the premises 15 minutes before your interview and not longer than that. You do not have to come to the VAC an hour early. You should stay hydrated and eat a meal before your interview. It is also normal to be nervous for your interview, and the interviewer would know about the nervousness.
You do not have to be overly formal for the US visa interview. You can wear something comfortable and semi-formal that would make an excellent first impression. However, wearing a formal dress, shirt, tie, and jacket is always appropriate.
Upon entering the premise, you will be first subjected to a full-body scan and then guided to have your fingerprints scanned. Next, you will be directed to the interview room by the consular officer. Here you can expect to be asked a few questions about the purpose of the visit.
Remember that all consular officers expect you to be a potential immigrant. Therefore, it would be best to answer the question to convince the consular officer that you have strong ties to your home country and will be returning.
After completing the interview with the consular officer, you will learn about the outcome. If you have passed the visa interview, you will be granted a visa to the US. However, in case the visa is denied, you will not receive a visa and could be subjected to further administrative processing.
Once your visa is approved, you will receive your visa in your passport or a sealed packet containing documents. You must present the visa or the sealed package to the US Customs and Border Protection at a port of entry.
Before we end the blog, let us just look at the visa application steps briefly.
You must take the following steps to get your US visitor visa:
Additionally, suppose you are applying for a nonimmigrant visa. In that case, you will be required to schedule a biometric appointment and a medical examination.
Hopefully, this blog prepared you for your visa interview and gave you a snippet of what to expect. You are now ready for your US visa appointment. Good luck!
Happy Traveling!
Helpful Resources
When it comes to writing a blog, we only use government websites as our source of information to help you give only the correct and relevant information.
To visit friends or family who are US permanent residents or US citizens for tourism or business purposes, you can apply for a B1 visa, a B2 visa, or a combination of B1/B2 visas. In addition, you can check for other visa types here.
The US visa interview is usually between 3-5 minutes, and it is a conversation and not a document review.
If you are late for the US visa interview and there are no other applicants, the VAC will cancel your interview. You will have to look for a new visa interview date and book a visa appointment.
If you do not attend your interview, the VAC can cancel your visa application, and you will not receive a refund for the visa application. Therefore, it is advised that you change the interview dates at least three working days before your appointment date.
You can call the VAC or NVC to cancel the US visa interview by providing them with a valid reason.
You can cancel your current US visa interview. However, the US Embassy or Consulate will not refund you the visa application fee.
A biometric is an individual’s physical characteristics captured to verify the person’s identity and check against other entries in the database. It is necessary in many cases because it assists the US government in enforcing legitimate travel by international visitors while maintaining integrity and security at the borders.
You can only reschedule the US visa interview twice after the first visa appointment in some countries. After the second rescheduling attempt is canceled, an applicant will only be allowed to reschedule a new date after a waiting period of 90 days.
Applicants can request an emergency appointment or expedited appointment in case of serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in their immediate family. You can make an expedited appointment online by visiting the US travel docs website. You will receive the approval for the interview via email, guiding you on the next steps. However, you must remember that the expedited appointment slots are limited, and getting an appointment can be difficult. And in case you do not receive an email with the approval, it means that your request has been denied.
Specific visa categories are eligible for a US visa appointment waiver. This means the applicant does not have to go for an in-person interview to be able to get their visa. You can get an interview waiver by contacting the VAC or NVC in the country where you are applying for the visa.
You will pay the visa processing and interview fees depending on the visa you applied for. For more information, you can visit the US travel docs website.