What Are OFC and VAC Appointments for US Visas?

OFC and VAC appointments for US visas are the pre-interview visits where a contractor-run facility collects your fingerprints and digital photograph so the embassy can run security and background checks before you sit down with a consular officer. OFC stands for Offsite Facilitation Center and VAC stands for Visa Application Center. The name you hear depends on which country you’re applying in, because different regions use different service providers, but the function is identical.

These facilities are not embassies or consulates. They’re separate offices, usually in a different building and sometimes a different part of the city, run by third-party contractors on behalf of the U.S. government. Visiting one is typically your first in-person step in the visa process, and it happens before, not during, your consular interview.

How the Two Appointments Fit Together

At most high-volume posts, the biometrics visit and the interview are two distinct events on two different days. You go to the OFC or VAC first for fingerprints and a photo. Days or weeks later, you go to the embassy or consulate for the interview itself.

Not every post works this way. At some smaller embassies, fingerprints are collected during the interview, so there is no separate biometrics trip.¹ Check the instructions for the specific post where you’re applying before you make plans.

What Happens at the Biometrics Visit

The biometrics visit is short and mechanical. A digital scanner captures images of all ten fingerprints, a camera takes your photograph, and that is essentially the entire appointment. Nobody asks about your travel plans, your work, or why you want to visit the United States. Expect to be inside for roughly 15 to 20 minutes.²

The fingerprints and photo are used for identity verification and to run checks against criminal and immigration databases. Your application will not move to the interview stage until this step is complete.²

If a medical condition or disability prevents you from providing fingerprints, a waiver may be granted on a case-by-case basis. You’ll likely need to provide alternative documentation such as police clearance letters.³

How the Consular Interview Is Different

The interview is the decision point. It happens at the embassy or consulate, and a consular officer decides whether to issue or refuse your visa. The officer asks about your travel plans, your ties to your home country, how you’re paying for the trip, and your intent to return home.⁴

For nonimmigrant categories like the B-1/B-2 visitor visa, the officer is looking for evidence you don’t intend to stay permanently. Employment, property, family obligations, and ongoing studies in your home country carry more weight than an invitation letter from a U.S. contact.⁵

Language and Interpreters

Consular officers at most posts speak the local language and English. If you’re not comfortable in either, you’re generally responsible for arranging your own interpreter. Family members can sometimes serve as interpreters for nonimmigrant interviews, but policies vary by embassy. Contact your specific post ahead of time to confirm what’s allowed.

Who Can Come With You

Most embassies allow only applicants with scheduled appointments into the consular section. One parent may accompany a minor child. Requests to bring a caregiver or translator usually need advance approval. Lawyers and other companions are generally not permitted in the interview room for nonimmigrant visa appointments.

Can You Skip Either Appointment?

Biometrics are required. The interview, in limited cases, is not. As of October 1, 2025, the State Department updated its interview waiver criteria, and if you qualify you can submit your application through a dropbox process instead of appearing in person.⁶

The main categories eligible for a waiver:

B-1/B-2 renewals, where the previous visitor visa expired within the last 12 months, was issued for full validity, and you were at least 18 when it was issued.
H-2A renewals, subject to the same 12-month and full-validity conditions.
Diplomatic and official applicants in the A, G, C-3, and NATO categories.

Even within these categories, you must apply in your country of nationality or usual residence, have no prior refusals (unless overcome or waived), and have no apparent ineligibility. A consular officer can still require an in-person interview for any reason.⁶

Applicants under 14 and over 79 previously had broader interview exemptions. Those age-based exemptions have been narrowed as of October 2025, and most applicants in those age groups now need to appear for an interview unless they meet one of the waiver criteria above.⁶

What to Bring

Both appointments require specific documents, and missing one usually means being turned away and having to reschedule.

For the biometrics visit, bring your valid passport, the DS-160 confirmation page (the page with the barcode, not the full application), and your appointment confirmation. For the interview, bring the same items plus your supporting materials.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in the United States, though citizens of certain countries are exempt from the six-month rule and only need validity covering their travel dates.⁷

A digital photo is taken at biometrics, but if the photo upload failed when you completed the DS-160 online, bring a printed photograph that meets U.S. visa photo requirements.⁵

Supporting documents for the interview vary by visa category and commonly include bank statements or proof of income, evidence of employment or school enrollment, a travel itinerary, and anything that demonstrates ties to your home country. For visitor visas, the State Department emphasizes that your own ties abroad matter more than letters of invitation from U.S. contacts.⁵

Security Rules and Prohibited Items

OFC and VAC facilities, and the embassies themselves, enforce strict security rules. Electronics cause the most trouble. Laptops, tablets, and cameras are flatly prohibited at most locations, and storage is typically not available. Showing up with a laptop means being turned away until you find somewhere else to leave it.

Cell phones and smartwatches can usually be checked at the security desk but are not allowed past the waiting area. Other prohibited items include large bags, backpacks, luggage, food, drinks (baby formula is the usual exception), weapons, and tools. Plan to carry only a small handbag or purse with your documents.

Arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment time and expect airport-style screening. Photography, video, and audio recording inside the facility are not permitted.

Scheduling and Wait Times

Both appointments are booked through the visa appointment website for your country, typically ustraveldocs.com or a similar platform. You’ll usually schedule biometrics first, with the interview set for a later date.

Interview wait times vary sharply by location. The State Department publishes estimated wait times monthly. As of early 2026, Abu Dhabi showed roughly one month for a B-1/B-2 interview, New Delhi about six and a half months, and Toronto over eighteen months.⁸ Check the wait time for your specific post before making travel plans.

If you need to reschedule, most platforms allow a limited number of changes per application fee. The exact number depends on the country, and exceeding your limit means paying a new MRV fee. A no-show typically counts as a used reschedule attempt, so cancel in advance if you can’t make an appointment.

The application fee itself is non-refundable and must be paid before scheduling. The amount depends on the visa category and ranges from $185 for most non-petition-based visas up to $315 for E visas, with diplomatic and certain government-sponsored categories paying no fee.⁹

What Happens After the Interview

At the end of the interview, the officer will tell you the outcome. There are only two results: issued or refused.¹⁰

If approved, the embassy keeps your passport for visa stamping. Processing and delivery timelines vary by post, but you can generally expect the passport back within one to two weeks, either through a courier service or at a designated pickup location. Some posts offer a paid premium delivery option.

Sometimes the officer won’t give a final answer at the interview and puts the application into administrative processing, an extended review. This is technically a refusal under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, meaning you haven’t yet established eligibility, but it isn’t a final denial. Duration varies case by case.¹⁰

The most common nonimmigrant refusal is under Section 214(b), which means the officer wasn’t satisfied you qualified for the category or wasn’t convinced you’d return home after your trip. There’s no formal appeal, but you can reapply at any time with a new application and a new fee.¹¹

1
U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea. Visa Application Step-by-Step Instructions
2
VFS Global. What Happens at the Centre
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 2 – Biometrics Collection
4
U.S. Department of State. Step 11 Applicant Interview
5
Travel.State.Gov. Visitor Visa
6
Travel.State.Gov. Interview Waiver Update
7
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Six-Month Passport Validity Update
8
Travel.State.Gov. Global Visa Wait Times
9
Travel.State.Gov. Fees for Visa Services
10
Travel.State.Gov. Administrative Processing Information
11
Travel.State.Gov. Visa Denials