Apply for an Expedited Appointment
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Overview
If you have an unforeseen travel need as per one of the criteria listed below, you may qualify for an expedited appointment depending on availability at the U.S. Embassy. It is important to ensure you meet all the criteria, because applicants are only allowed to create one expedited appointment request.
Qualifications
Before you apply for an expedited appointment, you must first schedule an appointment through the regular appointment scheduling procedure and also ensure that you have documentary evidence to prove the urgency of travel. Request for emergency appointments will not be considered unless an initial appointment has been scheduled online. If it appears during your visa interview that you misrepresented the reasons for urgent travel, such facts will be noted on your case file and may adversely influence the outcome of your visa application. All applicants requesting an expedited appointment are required to first pay visa fees for a regular visa appointment. Applicants who are granted an expedited appointment but subsequently refused a visa at the U.S. Embassy will not be allowed to utilize this option to obtain another expedited appointment for the same purpose of travel.
Note: Travel for the purpose of attending weddings and graduation ceremonies or other milestones, assisting pregnant relatives, participating in an annual business/academic/professional conference, or tourism does not qualify for expedited appointments. For such travel, please schedule a regular visa appointment well in advance.
Medical Need
Purpose of travel is to obtain urgent medical care, to assist a seriously ill relative or other family emergency in the United States, or to accompany a relative or employer for urgent medical care.
Essential documentation:
- A letter from your doctor describing the medical condition and why you are seeking medical care in the United States.
- A letter from the physician or hospital in the United States indicating that they are prepared to treat the case and providing the approximate cost of the treatment.
- Evidence of how you will pay for the cost of the treatment.
Funeral/Death
Purpose of travel is to attend the funeral of or make arrangements for repatriating the body of an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child,) in the United States.
Essential documentation:
- A letter from the funeral director stating the contact information, the details of the deceased, and the date of the funeral.
- You must also present evidence that the deceased is an immediate relative.
Urgent Business Travel
Urgent business travel on B1/B2 visa: Purpose of travel is to attend to an urgent business matter where the travel requirement could not be predicted in advance. Please note that we are currently considering expedite requests for B1/B2 visas for urgent business travel on a very limited space-available basis.
Essential documentation:
- A letter of invitation from the corresponding company in the United States attesting to the urgency of the planned visit, describing the nature of the business and that either the U.S. or local company will suffer a significant loss of opportunity if an expedited appointment is not available.
or
- Evidence of a necessary training program in the United States of three months duration or less, to include letters from both the local employer and the U.S. company providing the training. Both letters should include a detailed explanation of the training and explain why either the U.S. or local company will suffer a significant loss of opportunity if an expedited appointment is not available.
Students or exchange visitors
Please note that we are currently considering expedite requests for F, M, and J visa appointments on a very limited space-available basis. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate all requests. We are unable to reconsider or respond to inquiries related to the denial of a request for an expedited F, M, or J visa appointment.
Please carefully review the below criteria before submitting an expedite requests. Expedite requests that do not meet these criteria or do not include the requested information will be denied.
- Applicants must have a start date on their I-20 or DS-2019 within 120 days of the date the request is submitted.
- Applicants must not have been refused a U.S. visa within the last 12 months.
- Applicants must not have submitted an expedite request within the last 12 months.
You must include the below information in the text of your expedite request. Please note that the body of your request must include this information, even if the information is part of any other documentation you provide:
- Your start date as listed on your I-20 or DS-2019
- The name of the school, university, or institution in which you will be studying or engaging in an exchange program.
- The name of the school you are currently attending or most recently attended.
- The dollar amount and percentage of your educational costs covered by a scholarship or assistantship.
- For academic programs, the educational level of your program (e.g. Associates, Bachelors, Masters, PhD)
- For exchange programs, the purpose of your exchange program
- Any other information that is relevant to the consideration of your request
Essential documentation:
- Your I-20 or DS-2019
- Evidence of any scholarships received.
ESTA Denied
You may request an expedited visa appointment if you are a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program partner but have received notice that you are no longer eligible to travel to the United States under that program. Such travelers include those who are dual nationals of Iraq, Iran, Sudan or Syria, or those who have travelled to Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Yemen, or Somalia after March 1, 2011. Your travel must be imminent to qualify for an expedited appointment. Please include in your request the date and purpose of your travel.
Essential documentation:
- A copy of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection message you received regarding your ESTA status
Applying for an Expedited Appointment
Step 1
Complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form.
Step 2
Pay the visa application fee.
Step 3
Schedule an appointment online for the earliest available date. Please note that you must schedule an appointment before you can request an expedited date. At the time you schedule your appointment, you will see an onscreen message showing the earliest available appointment date, which includes expedited appointments. Accordingly, you may find that it is not necessary to request an expedited appointment because there are no earlier dates available.
If you wish to proceed with requesting an expedited appointment, then complete the Expedited Request Form in English or contact the call center to request assistance. Please be sure to note the type of urgency you believe qualifies you for an expedited appointment. Once you have submitted your request, please wait for a response from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate which will arrive via email.
Step 4
If the U.S. Embassy or Consulate approves your request then you will receive an email alerting you to schedule your expedited appointment online. Please understand that the call center cannot schedule your expedited appointment for you, but agents are able to assist you if questions arise. Should the U.S. Embassy or Consulate deny your request for an expedited appointment, you will be notified of the denial by email and you should keep your existing appointment.
Note: The email confirming or denying your request will come from no-reply@ustraveldocs.com. Some email applications have rules which filter unknown senders into a spam or junk mail folder. If you have not received your email notification, please look for the message in your junk and spam email folders.
Step 5
Visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the date and time of your visa interview. You will need to bring a printed copy of your appointment letter, your Form DS-160 confirmation page, one photograph taken within the last six months, your current and all old passports and supporting documents. Applications without all of these items will not be accepted.