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Visa Update: Consular Operations (Visas) as of March 2021
7 MINUTE READ
March 15, 2021

Routine visa services remain suspended due to precautions and limited resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The U.S. Embassy is continually evaluating the conditions necessary to resume full services.  We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time.

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines continues to operate on reduced staffing.  As conditions surrounding the COVID-19 situation improve, the Embassy will add additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services.  The Embassy cannot predict when the resumption of full visa services or a specific set of visa cases will resume.

Immigrant Visa:  The Embassy is currently processing limited numbers of the following:

  • Cases for applicants previously interviewed and refused under INA Section 221(g) for additional document submission or processing.
  • Interviews for any case with a derivative applicant who is turning 21 years old and risks losing eligibility as a child.
  • Interviews for Immediate Relative family members of U.S. citizens, including intercountry adoptions: IR-1, CR-1, IR-2, CR-2, IR-3, IH-3, IR-4, IH-4, and IR-5.
  • Expedite-approved mission critical cases, such as fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens and their children (K-1, K-2) if there is a terminal eligibility deadline (age out or one year issuance deadline for K-1 of an issued K-1 approaching) or active U.S. military petitioners as well as employment-based (EB-3) immigrants with healthcare positions on a case-to-case basis.
  • Visa interviews for all other immigrant visa categories remain suspended until local conditions and capacity allows.

Nonimmigrant Visa:  The Embassy continues to prioritize travelers with urgent travel needs, foreign diplomats, and certain mission-critical categories of travelers such as those coming to assist with the U.S. response to the pandemic, followed by students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1, and J-1) and temporary employment visas (consistent with Presidential Proclamation 10052).  Visa appointments and processing for B1/B2 (Business/Tourist) remain suspended.  We understand that many visa applicants have paid the visa application processing fee and are still waiting to schedule a visa appointment.  The U.S. Embassy will extend the validity of your payment (known as the MRV fee) until September 30, 2022, to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment as a result of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa appointment with the already paid fee.

Visa Scheduling: After we resume visa processing, which will be confirmed on our website, applicants can reschedule the first available visa interview appointment by phone at (+632) 7792-8988 and (+632) 8548-8223, or through the online appointment system at http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/ph.  There is no fee to change an appointment.  After routine visa processing resumes, if you have difficulties rescheduling a pending consular appointment, applicants may send an email to supportphilippines@ustraveldocs.com for specific guidance.

NIV expedited appointment requests for emergency travel may be submitted here: http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-visaapply.asp.  Please note that the applicant will need to book a regular appointment through our appointment system before requesting an expedited appointment through http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-expeditedappointment.asp.

NIV Interview Waiver: The interview waiver program has been extended.  Information is available at https://ph.usembassy.gov/visa-update-interview-waiver-program/.

Contact Us: 

To call or chat with a Visa Information and Appointment Service Center customer service representative, please click here.