Booking your visa appointment with a U.S. Consulate or Embassy is vital for getting your U.S. visa. But what if you can’t make it? Can you reschedule it, or do you have to book a new one?
The visa appointment booking system allows you to reschedule your appointment date and time.
Can I Reschedule My Visa Appointment To Earlier Date?
Continue reading to know all the rules regarding rescheduling a U.S. visa appointment. Please note – this article was written keeping in mind guidelines for non-immigrant visas. Learn more about immigrant vs. non-immigrant visas.
Due to the high volume of applicants seeking U.S. visa appointment slots, you are strongly advised to attend your visa interview and other appointments on the first date assigned to you.
Visa appointments are typically scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you want to reschedule, you may not get another date close to the one you were given previously.
You must ensure all your interview preparation and documents are ready by the date given to you for your visa interview. However, unforeseeable circumstances may prevent you from attending your appointment on the day and time specified by the Consulate/Embassy.
In such cases, you can request that your appointment be rescheduled. This appointment modification can be made for the in-person visa interview with a consular officer, to give biometrics at the Visa Application Center, or both.
As a U.S. visa applicant, you can complete many required obligations online, but some need you to be physically present. They may include biometrics appointments, medical examinations (for immigrant visas), and visa interviews with a consular officer.
You cannot simply walk in for your visa appointments at a U.S. embassy or Consulate. You, like other applicants, must schedule your appointments online and appear in person on a specific date. And if you miss it, you must reschedule it as early as possible.
How to Reschedule a U.S. Visa Appointment?
There are two options for rescheduling a U.S. visa appointment. You can change the date by calling the visa application center (VAC) or online at the CGI Federal website, www.ustraveldocs.com.
The appointment booking system on the website allows you to schedule or reschedule your visa appointments. In addition, you can continue to initiate and update any required visa processes using your registered account.
When you are scheduling an appointment for the first time, you will only see the option “New Application / Schedule Appointment.” After completing this step, the “Cancel or Reschedule Appointment” option becomes available.
Remember that you cannot have two different dates for a single appointment. Therefore, when you reschedule an appointment, the previously selected date is automatically canceled.
If you successfully reschedule the appointment, you will receive a confirmation message stating that your appointment has been rescheduled. You can also view the history of your U.S. Visa appointment reschedules by clicking on the “Appointment History” link on the website.
Can a U.S. Visa Appointment be rescheduled to an earlier date?
Yes, you can reschedule your visa appointment and get an earlier date than the one you’ve previously selected. However, it depends on the demand for U.S. visas in your country.
Each country has a different system, but a vendor usually manages the appointments. The state says how many appointments are to be undertaken, but a vendor does biometrics intake and issues appointment dates.
Sometimes people change their appointment dates, so some empty slots may be available for earlier dates. To take advantage of such an opportunity, you must visit the website regularly.
If there are available appointment slots, you should be able to reschedule for an earlier date. But post-covid times have limited interview slots in high-demand countries. So, you shouldn’t give up an assigned slot in hopes of getting an earlier one.
How many times can a U.S. Visa Appointment be rescheduled?
Depending on your country and the demand for U.S. visas among its citizens, there can be long wait times for visa appointments. To avoid misuse of the system, the number of times a person may reschedule their appointment is limited.
It is best not to reschedule your appointment too many times. It could lead to your visa application fee receipt becoming inactive. You will then be required to make a new visa application payment.
The amount of times you can modify or postpone your U.S. visa appointment varies depending on your nationality. For example, in some countries, you can reschedule visa appointments up to six times. At the same time, you may only be allowed to change it twice in high-demand nations.
The number of times you can book an appointment with a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) receipt is determined by the U.S. Consulates or U.S. Embassy in that country. To acquire accurate data for your case, you must contact them or the USTravelDocs federal support staff.
FAQ –
- What if the U.S. Consulate/Embassy cancels the Visa Appointment?
Suppose the U.S. Consulate or Embassy cancels your appointment for whatever reason. In that case, they will not count the reschedule you made after canceling against the overall number of reschedules available. That is, they waive the scheduling opportunity for the cancellation.
- Does the system notify us if all options for Visa Appointment rescheduling have been exhausted?
The system will notify you when you have exhausted your appointment rescheduling options. You will get a notification that states that once you cancel this appointment, you will have surpassed the appointment cancellation limit. This way, you’ll know you can’t make another appointment with your existing MRV charge receipt.
- Is there any penalty for rescheduling U.S. Visa Appointment?
There is no penalty or charge for rescheduling your visa appointment. However, you can only reschedule your appointment a limited number of times. After that, you will have to pay for a new visa application.
Are you looking for help with your visa interview preparation? Our expert team of former U.S. visa officers is here to guide you. Book your appointment now!
(This blog post was written by Yvette Bansal, former consular officer & Kausar Shaikh, Content Strategist.)
DISCLAIMER:
This blog does not endorse or advocate for any illegal activities. All content presented here is intended for educational purposes only. The viewpoints expressed do not constitute legal advice and are solely based on the writer’s opinions and experiences. Please use the information provided responsibly. Any advice given is of a general nature and should be applied to your specific circumstances with caution and consideration.
Yvette Bansal is a former U.S. visa officer (U.S. Diplomat). She has served at Embassy New Delhi and Consulate General Mumbai and has adjudicated over forty thousand visas. She met and married her husband in India and is currently happily settled in Chicago, United States.
