_edit.png){kind=small}
If you are planning to travel to your home country during the pandemic and are due for a visa stamping, you should make sure that the embassy in your country is accepting appointments for visa interviews.
Who is impacted?
Foreign nationals traveling outside the U.S. who -
need to get a new visa stamped
need to renew/extend an existing visa
How do I find the status of the U.S. embassy in my country?
U.S. Department of State has published appointment availability and processing times. You can use this page to look up the consulate in your home country and check their appointment wait times.
Traveling to India?
If you are planning to travel to India, here are a few things to note -
U.S. embassies in India have cancelled all the appointments until March 2021
Only emergency appointments can be made until regular processing times are resumed (for which there is no set date)
Expect a significantly long wait times, even for emergency appointments
Dropbox services are available for renewals but if biometrics / OFC is required then there are very few slots available
To keep yourself updated on processing times and wait times, you can use this US Travel Docs page
Travel Advise
We advise that you avoid travel outside the U.S. during this holiday season whether you are getting a new visa, renewing a visa or simply visiting without the need for an embassy visit.
Content in this publication is not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult a WayLit-affiliated attorney or another qualified professional.