Are Embassies still doing appointments for tourist visas

[home_visit 2]

At the Embassy where we are living, the website now says that they are working on B1/B2 visas again.  However, when we try to log in to schedule an appointment, it says that no appointments are available.  There is an email address on the Embassy website for emergency appointments, but not sure what qualifies as an emergency.

 

Does anyone know the status of the Embassies in conducting B2 visas? 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

They differ according to local conditions. Which particular embassy are you referring to?

[HRQX 4,145]

53 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Which particular embassy are you referring to?

Maybe Phnom Penh per OP's other thread:

 

[Chancy 6,233]

1 hour ago, home_visit said:

There is an email address on the Embassy website for emergency appointments, but not sure what qualifies as an emergency.

 

Qualifications for emergency appointments for NIV processing --

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/kh/kh-niv-expeditedappointment.asp

 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

42 minutes ago, HRQX said:

Maybe Phnom Penh per OP's other thread:

 

Phnom Penh has apparently been processing B among other visas since mid July, and is listed as 22 days to get a tourist visa appointment. I can’t see why it’s an issue if that is it.

I only had a brief look but I thought I saw HK in one of his threads. HK is only accepting emergency appointments for B visas. 
Anyway some clarification would be useful. 

 

[HRQX 4,145]

7 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

I only had a brief look but I thought I saw HK in one of his threads. HK is only accepting emergency appointments for B visas. 
Anyway some clarification would be useful.

OP referred to HK as third-party country (i.e. neither OP or gf are in HK) for potential wedding:

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by HRQX

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

29 minutes ago, HRQX said:

OP referred to HK as third-party country (i.e. neither OP or gf are in HK) for potential wedding:

 

Don’t know if it was that thread, but I have better things to do with my time than hunt through all posts. People want good answers, they need to give info we can work with.

Edited September 18, 2020 by SusieQQQ

[home_visit 2]

9 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Phnom Penh has apparently been processing B among other visas since mid July, and is listed as 22 days to get a tourist visa appointment. I can’t see why it’s an issue if that is it.

I only had a brief look but I thought I saw HK in one of his threads. HK is only accepting emergency appointments for B visas. 
Anyway some clarification would be useful. 

 

 

Thank you Susie QQQ, yes it is Phnom Penh.

 

I saw on the Embassy website (probably as you did) that they said they are processing visas since July.  

• Non-immigrant Visas: As of 15 July 2020, the United States Embassy’s Consular Section in Phnom Penh resumed scheduling for certain nonimmigrant visas, including F, M J, and B1/B2 visas.  While the Consular Section aims to process cases as soon as possible, you should expect  increased wait times for interview scheduling.  MRV application fees paid may be used to schedule an interview appointment in the country where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment.

However, my partner is one of the people who applied for a visa just before Covid got serious.  She had an appointment for her B2 visa and it was canceled due to Covid.  If they are doing interviews again, she should be able to schedule one now with her existing application.

 

However, when we go to the website to try to schedule one, it says that there are no appointments available.

 

We may try to call the Embassy on Monday but am not confident that will answer this question as these days it seems they want everything to be automated.   Even if you email them (as they seem to prefer) they often don't even answer your question, but somehow answer something else, or point to a website that doesn't contain the info you wanted.

 

 

[home_visit 2]

10 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

Qualifications for emergency appointments for NIV processing --

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/kh/kh-niv-expeditedappointment.asp

 

 

Thank you that is helpful.

 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

That’s odd. This website is usually very accurate, it’s the one that I got the 22 days wait time from.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html#

[home_visit 2]

2 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

That’s odd. This website is usually very accurate, it’s the one that I got the 22 days wait time from.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html#

Thanks I see that now.  We can check it again this evening, but we just checked last night and it said no appointments available.  It already had my partner's profile number, payment receipt, etc. 

[SteveInBostonI130 3,319]

Hello,

 

I think they may have frozen the appointment calendar to process DV applicants this month.  Wait until the end of the month or Oct 1 to see if slots are available.

[Chancy 6,233]

3 hours ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

I think they may have frozen the appointment calendar to process DV applicants this month.  Wait until the end of the month or Oct 1 to see if slots are available.

 

Wouldn't DV applications be handled by the Immigrant Visa unit?  NIV unit that handles B1/B2 would have separate staffing and scheduling, no?

 

[home_visit 2]

3 hours ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

Hello,

 

I think they may have frozen the appointment calendar to process DV applicants this month.  Wait until the end of the month or Oct 1 to see if slots are available.

Thanks for that idea.  We will try to call and/or email on Monday to try to understand what is going on.  

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

32 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Wouldn't DV applications be handled by the Immigrant Visa unit?  NIV unit that handles B1/B2 would have separate staffing and scheduling, no?

 

The “units” are often the same people at different times of day or different days of the week. DoS has instructed embassies to reschedule other appointments as necessary to accommodate as many DV appointments as possible before FY end. That said, even if that is the case it only explains why nothing would be available till 30 Sept, not why they cannot get anything after that.