Reschedule a US Visa appointment

While several US immigration processes and documents submission can be completed online, visa appointments require applicants to be physically present. To this end, applicants are required to schedule their appointment dates online and appear in person on a given date. However, in some cases, people do realize their inability to meet up with the original date and time only after they have scheduled an appointment. Issues like this usually arise due to some unforeseen circumstances. This begs the questions: does missing a US visa appointment mean an end to the application process? Can an applicant reschedule US visa appointment? If just like many others, you have also been pondering on these questions, the good news is you can reschedule your US visa appointments for another date!

US Visa Appointment

US visa appointment is one of the numerous obligations that must be fulfilled by almost every applicant applying for a US visa. It includes a medical examination appointment, biometrics appointment, and visa interview. Depending on your visa category, you may need to book and attend some or all of these appointments.

Because there are several people in waiting line trying to get a visa to the United States, you cannot just show up for your appointment at a US embassy or consulate. You must schedule it ahead just like other applicants. US visa appointments are usually on a first-come-first-have basis. This means the earlier you book, the better.

Due to a large number of applicants seeking visa appointment dates, it is highly recommended that you attend your visa interview and other appointments on the very first date given to you. But if it becomes absolutely impossible to attend the appointment on a given date, you can reschedule for another date.

How to book a US Visa Appointment?

Generally, every nonimmigrant visa applicant must complete Form DS-160, known as Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. After filling your DS-160, you will be shown a confirmation page with a barcode. You must print and keep the confirmation page, as it will be needed to complete your visa application, including appointment scheduling and rescheduling appointments.

Once you have filled the form appropriately and have the barcode with you, you will be able to choose a US embassy or consulate where you wish to be interviewed. It is recommended that you choose an embassy or consulate in your country of residence, as it can sometimes be difficult to be interviewed in a country you don’t reside in.

Each embassy or consulate has the appointment calendar, which shows the available dates applicants can choose for their visa appointments. You will also need to pay the visa application processing fee and keep the receipt. Once you have satisfied all the Form DS-160 requirements and paid the fee, you will be able to continue with your visa application processes, including appointment scheduling and rescheduling. Documents needed to book US visa appointment include:

• A passport with a validity date at least 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in the US
• Your DS-160 confirmation page
• The receipt of your visa application page
• Functional telephone number and email address

Can I reschedule a US visa appointment?

Yes, you can reschedule your US visa appointment if you miss your previously scheduled date. Keep in mind, however, that there is a timeframe within which changes can be made to an already scheduled visa appointment and there is also a limited number of times a US visa appointment can be rescheduled. It is also worth knowing that you need to have a genuine reason for changing the appointment date. With that in mind, you can go ahead and make changes to the existing appointment for another date. The only downside to this is that you may not get another date so close to the one previously given, and there is no guarantee that a visa will be available on your newly scheduled date. All these might cause a delay in your travel plans.

How to Reschedule a US Visa Appointment

Before you can schedule or reschedule a US visa appointment, you must first create an account on the website www.ustraveldocs.com. With your registered account, you can continue to initiate and update any required immigration processes including rescheduling appointments. You can also get premium service and help on your application by applying with US visa appointment premium service.

There are two ways to reschedule a US visa appointment. You can do it either by changing the date online or by calling the visa application center (VAC). To do it online, you can log in on the website with your passport number, date of birth as well as your country of citizenship. After logging in, you will be shown different options on the Applicant Summary page.

Out of the options, you will select “Cancel or Reschedule Appointment.” This will allow you to reschedule your US visa appointment by postponing the appointment to a future available date. That you think might best work for you. Keep in mind that it is impossible to have two different set dates for your visa appointment. The moment you reschedule, the previously chosen date will be automatically cancelled. 

How Many Times Can I Reschedule a US Visa Appointment?

It is advisable not to reschedule US visa appointment more than one time. This is because after the first reschedule, you may be required to make a new visa application payment if you want to make further changes to your appointment dates. The Machine Readable Visa (MRV) receipt for the initial payment receipt may become inactive after using it the second time.

Can I Reschedule a US Visa Appointment for an Earlier Date?

Yes, you may reschedule your US visa appointment and get an earlier date than the previously chosen one. Though it is highly uncommon, but it is not impossible. There are many intricacies surrounding visa appointment schedule and reschedule. Just as many people make changes to their appointments, there is a possibility of having some empty slots earlier than the one you’ve previously chosen. To take advantage of such a rare opportunity, you need to always check the website from time to time. The embassy will not call or email to notify you of an empty slot. You will need to do the findings yourself.

Reasons Why Visa Applicants Change Their US visa appointment date

There are two major reasons why people make changes to their original US visa appointment dates. It could be due to personal reasons or on the request of the embassy. For example, people’s travel plans sometimes change only after they have booked their visa appointment, which will necessitate finding an earlier or later date.

In some cases, the embassy may send a message notifying an applicant that they will not be able to honor the already scheduled appointment, requesting the person to choose another date. If you find yourself in the second scenario and the newly available date will not work for you, you may decide to cancel the appointment and choose another U.S. consulate or embassy for your interview. There is an option for changing your appointment location on the website.

Find out more about US Visa appointments.