To schedule a U.S. visa appointment, you complete the DS-160 online application, pay the visa application fee, and then book a date through the appointment portal your embassy or consulate uses. Each step unlocks the next, so they have to be done in order. Most applicants can finish the pre-booking steps in a few days, but the wait for the interview itself depends heavily on which post you apply at and which visa you need.
Step 1: File the DS-160
Every nonimmigrant visa applicant files Form DS-160 electronically through the Consular Electronic Application Center before an interview can be scheduled.1eCFR. 22 CFR 41.103 – Filing an Application The form asks about your background, travel history, employment, and the purpose of your trip. Answers must be in English characters, except where the form specifically requests your name in your native alphabet.2U.S. Department of State. DS-160 Frequently Asked Questions
When you start a new DS-160, the system generates a unique application ID after you select and answer a security question. Save it. If you close the browser, you have 30 days to come back and finish using that ID, and you can also download your progress as a backup for after that window closes.2U.S. Department of State. DS-160 Frequently Asked Questions
You will upload a digital photo as part of the form. It has to be square, taken within the last six months, on a white or off-white background, with minimum dimensions of 600 by 600 pixels. If the upload fails, you’ll need to bring a printed 2-by-2-inch photo to the interview instead.3U.S. Department of State. Visitor Visa
After you submit and electronically sign the form, the system produces a confirmation page with a barcode. Print it and keep it. The barcode is how the embassy pulls up your application, and the confirmation number on it is also what the appointment portal will ask for when you go to schedule.2U.S. Department of State. DS-160 Frequently Asked Questions
Step 2: Pay the Visa Application Fee
The scheduling system won’t let you pick a date until the nonimmigrant visa application fee, also called the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee, is paid. The amount depends on your visa category:4U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
- $185 for most non-petition categories, including visitor (B), student (F, M), exchange visitor (J), transit (C), crew (D), and media (I) visas.
- $205 for petition-based work visas, including H, L, O, P, Q, and R.
- $265 for fiancé or spouse of a U.S. citizen (K) visas.
- $315 for treaty trader or investor (E) visas, including the Australian E-3.
The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, whether or not the visa is ultimately approved.4U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services Payment methods vary by country. Some posts take online bank transfers; others require a cash deposit at a designated bank using a payment slip you generate from the embassy website. After payment, you’ll get a receipt number, and you’ll need to enter that number during the scheduling step. Cash payments can take up to two business days to register in the system, so build that lag into your plans.
Note for students and exchange visitors: if you’re applying for an F-1, M-1, or J-1, you also owe a separate SEVIS I-901 fee before the State Department will issue the visa. The current fee is $350 for F and M applicants and $220 for most J applicants, with a reduced $35 fee for certain subsidized exchange programs.5Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I-901 SEVIS Fee It’s paid online through ICE and is separate from the MRV fee.
Step 3: Book Through the Appointment Portal
With the DS-160 confirmation number and fee receipt ready, you can schedule the interview through the visa appointment website designated for your country. The State Department uses different service providers in different regions, so the exact site varies. The U.S. embassy’s page in your country links to the correct portal.
Create an account with your email and a password. During registration you’ll enter your DS-160 confirmation number, passport number, and other identifying details, and these have to match your DS-160 exactly. As of June 2025, the system blocks applicants who enter an incorrect, incomplete, or fictitious confirmation number from moving on to scheduling.
Once the account is set up, go to the scheduling section, select your visa category, and pick the consular post where you want to appear. The system shows available dates, usually color-coded, with grayed-out dates meaning no slots. Choose a date, pick a morning or afternoon slot, and confirm. The portal produces a printable appointment confirmation letter with your date, time, and location. Bring it on interview day.
Where You’re Expected to Schedule
The State Department expects you to schedule at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of nationality or residence.6U.S. Department of State. Adjudicating Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants in Their Country of Residence You can technically apply elsewhere, but the department warns that qualifying may be harder outside your home country, wait times will likely be longer, and fees are not refunded if the application fails. If the U.S. does not run routine visa operations where you live, you’ll be directed to a designated embassy instead.
Check Wait Times Before You Commit
Before paying the fee or locking in a date, look at the State Department’s Global Visa Wait Times page to see the next available appointment date at the post you’re considering. The page is updated monthly and reports wait times in 30-day and 15-day increments including weekends and holidays; the figures are estimates, not guaranteed appointment dates.7U.S. Department of State. Global Visa Wait Times
Waits range from a few days to several months depending on the post. If the wait at the nearest post is long, another post in your country of residence may be an option. After you book, keep checking. Embassies release additional slots as other applicants cancel or reschedule, and earlier dates often open up.
Requesting an Earlier Date
If you have an urgent, unforeseen situation, the consular section may move your interview to an earlier date. Qualifying reasons include funerals, medical emergencies, and imminent school start dates.8U.S. Department of State. Visa Appointment Wait Times Weddings, graduations, helping a pregnant relative, conferences, and last-minute tourism do not qualify.
You can only request an expedited date after you’ve submitted the DS-160, paid the application fee, and scheduled the first available regular appointment.8U.S. Department of State. Visa Appointment Wait Times How you submit the request varies by embassy. Some use a button inside the appointment portal; others require an email with supporting documents like a death certificate or medical records. If approved, you’ll get a notification allowing you to pick an earlier slot.
Rescheduling or Canceling
Rescheduling and cancellations happen through the same portal you used to book. Log in, open your existing appointment, and choose the reschedule option to pick a new date from the calendar. Canceling works the same way.
There is a cap on how many times you can reschedule against the same fee receipt, and each embassy sets its own limit. The portal will warn you when you’re about to use your last allowed reschedule. After that your appointment is canceled and you’ll need to pay a new MRV fee to book again. Treat rescheduling as something you can do once or twice, not indefinitely.
Who Doesn’t Need to Schedule an Interview
A narrow group of applicants can skip the in-person interview entirely. Effective October 1, 2025, the State Department tightened the interview waiver rules and eliminated the previous age-based exemptions for applicants under 14 and over 79.9U.S. Department of State. Interview Waiver Update September 18, 2025 Nearly all applicants now need to appear in person.
The remaining waiver categories are limited:
- Certain renewals of B-1/B-2 visitor visas or H-2A agricultural worker visas that expired within the past 12 months, were issued for full validity, and where the applicant was at least 18 when the visa was issued.
- Diplomatic and official visas, including A-1, A-2, G-1 through G-4, NATO, and similar categories.
Even within these groups, you have to apply in your country of nationality or residence, have no prior visa refusals that weren’t overcome, and have no apparent ineligibility. Consular officers can still require an interview in any individual case.9U.S. Department of State. Interview Waiver Update September 18, 2025 If you previously qualified under the old 48-month renewal waiver or the age-based exemption, those are gone. Plan on scheduling an in-person interview.