Under U.S. regulations, all U.S. citizens – including dual citizens – must enter and exit the United States using a U.S passport only.  For entry requirements for passports to return to the UK, you should check the UK government website.

You may travel to the United States on your U.S. passport up to and including the day it expires.

Please visit our website for information on how to renew your passport. This page also includes information on other passport services available at this time, including how to request an emergency appointment if you have urgent travel and require a U.S. passport. If approved, an emergency passport can be issued on the same day as your appointment.

Please check our website for information on how to request an emergency appointment if you have confirmed travel within five working days.  If approved, an emergency passport can be issued on the same day as your appointment.   Emergency appointments may be offered up to and including the date of your travel.

Final admittance is always at the discretion of U.S. Customs and Border Protection(CBP) officials at the Port of Entry and no assurances can be given in advance so we would always advise you to obtain a valid passport prior to travel.

If you have been outside United States for under 12 months (or under two years if you received a re-entry permit that you applied for before leaving the United States), please click here for the information you need about documentation and returning to the United States.

Information about travel as an LPR and maintaining permanent resident status is provided through the USCIS website. If an LPR remains outside the U.S. for more than 12 months (or beyond the validity period of their re-entry permit), they lose LPR status.

If an individual loses LPR status and does not qualify for returning resident status, they are required to apply for and obtain an immigrant visa if they wish to return to the United States to live there indefinitely or permanently. It can be difficult to qualify for returning resident status, and no assurances can be given in advance.

Lawful permanent residents (LPRs), also known as “green card” holders, are non-citizens who are lawfully authorized to live permanently within the United States.

If you hold a non-immigrant visa, you are not an LPR.

If you hold an immigrant visa, and travel to a U.S. Port of Entry and are admitted to the U.S. as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), you will be given the forms necessary to apply for a Permanent Resident Card at that time.

When an immigrant visa holder is admitted as an LPR at a U.S. Port of Entry, their passport is stamped with the words “Processed for I-551 temporary evidence of lawful residence” which helps facilitate overseas travel while they are waiting for the Permanent Resident Card to be processed.

Please see our ESTA page for more information.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is managed by the Department of Homeland Security. As such, we cannot answer questions about the ESTA process and any resulting decisions. Please review the official ESTA website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ and contact Customs and Border Protection (CBP) if you have further questions.

Information about the status of ESTA registrations at this time is provided through the only official ESTA website.

The Visa Waiver Program and the Electronic System For Travel Authorization (ESTA) are administered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), not the Department of State.

Please review the information on the ESTA website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ including for contact information for CBP.

If you wish to travel to the United States for a visit and travel authorization under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) has been denied, you are required to apply for a visa. Please see our website at https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/non-immigrant-visa-faqs/esta/ for more information.

Please see our website for information on non-immigrant visa types and application instructions.

If you are physically present in the United Kingdom then you may choose to apply for a visa through the U.S. Embassy in London. You should note, however, that during your interview you can expect to be asked to demonstrate that your social, economic and familial ties outside the United States are sufficiently strong to compel your departure from the U.S. after a brief visit. Consular officers have no way of evaluating and verifying an applicant’s ties to another country.

If you previously began the process of applying at another embassy or consulate, please note that visa fees are not transferable. You will be required to complete a new application to reflect your new application location and pay the visa fees again.

If you are a UK resident and wish to apply elsewhere, you should contact that embassy or consulate directly.  Please visit their website or contact them directly for clarification.

The final determination on an individual’s eligibility for a visa or for an expedited visa appointment is a matter for the adjudicating consular officer. No assurances can be given in advance and we cannot pre-adjudicate whether or not you will qualify over email.

Appointments are scheduled through the Visa Appointment Service, not by email or phone.  The visa appointment calendar shows appointment availability at the time it is accessed, based on the category of visa and other factors. As we continue to work to resume services, we suggest that you check the calendar through your Visa Appointment Service account at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/niv periodically for newly released appointments or any appointments made available as a result of cancellations. We are unable to provide a timeline for when routine services will resume so encourage you to continue to check this website and the appointment calendar for further appointment availability.

Information on current visa appointment wait times can be found here.  When you schedule your visa interview appointment, you will be offered the earliest available date at that time.  If you require an earlier appointment, please see FAQ 4.6 below on how to request an expedited appointment after booking the earliest available appointment.

As the appointment calendar operates in real-time, we cannot guarantee an appointment on or before any given date. This is one reason why we caution all applicants against booking tickets or making final travel plans unless they have received their passport containing a valid U.S. visa appropriate for their purpose of travel.

Limited emergency visa interview appointments are taking place for all visa categories. Circumstances that may be considered for expedited appointments are provided here.

In order to request an emergency appointment, please follow the instructions provided on the Visa Appointment website.  In your expedited appointment request you should include the reason you need to travel urgently and, if applying for a B1/B2, the reason you are unable to travel using an ESTA.

We cannot predetermine if you will qualify for an expedited appointment over email or the phone.  You will need to follow the instructions on the Visa Appointment website for your request to be reviewed.

Please note, no guarantees can be given in advance regarding your eligibility for an expedited appointment.  If your request is denied, there is no appeal available.

We are unable to refund any fees as a result of an appointment not being available prior to your intended date of travel, which is why we caution all applicants against purchasing tickets or making final travel plans unless they have received their passport containing a valid U.S. visa appropriate to their purpose of travel.

Petition approvals are not the same as visa approvals.  Once a petition has been approved by USCIS and you are in possession of either the Notice of Action, Form I-797 or Petition Receipt number, you must then apply for the visa.  Please see our website for further details on petition based visas.

We cannot conduct visa interviews remotely.

Please review our page on interview waivers for more information.

Due to our current resources, if you have been offered an expedited appointment you have been provided with the earliest date available. You should attend the visa interview at that time unless otherwise notified.  If you still wish to move your appointment to an earlier date, we suggest that you check the calendar through your Visa Appointment Service account periodically for newly released appointments or any appointments made available as a result of cancellations.  We do not operate a waiting list.

Your request was reviewed by a senior consular manager and the email you received reflects the outcome. No appeal is available.

As we continue to resume services, you can expect appointment availability on your Visa Appointment Service account appointment calendar to increase.

We do not operate a waiting list and we cannot offer you an appointment by email, telephone, or social media.

If you have a visa appointment scheduled, please keep checking your Visa Appointment Service account and your email account (including the junk or spam folder). This is where we will send any communication about changes to appointments if necessary.

You will go through airport-style security screening. You must not bring laptops or bags above cabin-baggage size to your appointment as they are not permitted into the building and there are no storage facilities available. To save time, we recommend that you keep the number of small bags and belongings that you bring with you to an absolute minimum.

If you have been advised that your application requires additional administrative processing or is under review, that will remain the status of your case until you are notified about the outcome. The process cannot be waived and no expedite service is available.

You do not need to monitor the status of your case online because you will be contacted directly.  Please note, we cannot provide routine status updates while administrative processing is underway.

• If your email address changes, update your Visa Appointment Service account.
• If you move to another country, please contact us so that we can close your case.

If a visa application is approved during a visa interview, the average processing time is 5-7 working days. At least a further 2-3 workdays should be allowed for delivery. No expedited processing service is available.

If you have been asked to submit additional information or documentation, additional time must be allowed because the consular officer cannot adjudicate your case until everything has been received.

Delivery tracking information will be sent to the email address that was provided through the Visa Appointment Service website when your visa interview was scheduled. Furthermore, you will be emailed if more information is needed for your case, or if additional processing is required. It is important for you to check that email account regularly, including any junk or spam folders.

Passports and documents will be delivered by the option chosen when the visa interview was scheduled. Please sign in to your Visa Appointment Service for information. It is not possible for you to collect your passport from the Embassy in person.

I haven’t attended a visa interview.

We are working diligently to restore all routine visa operations as quickly and safely as possible. In the meantime, rest assured that we have extended the validity of your payment (known as the MRV fee) until September 30, 2023.

If you depart the United Kingdom and wish to apply for a visa through another embassy or consulate, you will be required to pay a new MRV fee and complete a new Form DS-160.

As explained at the time of fee payment, visa fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

I have attended a visa interview.

Your MRV fee has already been utilized in covering the costs of processing your application and providing associated services.

If you wish to apply for a new visa, you will be required to pay a new MRV fee and complete a new Form DS-160.

Can I have a refund?

We do not have the authority to grant exceptions or to refund MRV fee payments. The MRV fee is non-refundable and non-transferable as per the terms and conditions that you agreed to at the time of payment, which are outlined on the Visa Appointment Service website.

Nonimmigrant visas cannot be extended. However, the majority of nonimmigrant visas are valid for several years. Please check the visa in your passport to confirm the validity period of the visa in your case. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website for more information about visa and passport validity.

If you are currently in the United States, please be aware that the expiration date of your visa has no bearing on your authorized length of stay in the United States. Please check the stamp in your passport applied by officials at the U.S. Port of Entry for information about your authorized period of stay.

If you have questions after checking the USCIS Response to COVID-19 webpage, you should contact them using the contact details on that website.

If you have petition filing questions after checking the USCIS website, contact USCIS directly using contact details on that website.

You can check the status of a petition using the USCIS case status checker. If the petition is pending approval and your address has changed, visit the USCIS website to provide your new address.

If you are applying for an immigrant visa and the case is being processed by NVC, please click here to visit your CEAC account for information. Please contact NVC using the contact form on that website if you still have questions.

We are unable to answer any questions about NVC cases, including about appointment scheduling. The Embassy’s role is to communicate with NVC about overall appointment capacity, not to allocate interview dates to applicants. Therefore, we cannot predict or influence when your appointment may be scheduled.

We cannot accept expedite requests directly from an applicant or their representatives. Please contact NVC if you have urgent need of travel.

If you are unable to attend the date you’ve been assigned, you should sign in to your Visa Appointment Service account to book a new interview date after the original interview date has passed.

Please note, you should not expect your account to be updated to allow you to schedule a new interview until after the scheduled appointment date has passed. Until then, the account will still display details of the appointment that was assigned. You need not be concerned. You are not required to attend that appointment.

You should still register the cancelled date on the Visa Appointment Service account, if you have not already done so.

You can now sign into your Visa Appointment Service account to reschedule your appointment. If no appointments are available when you first check, keep checking the calendar regularly for newly released dates and appointments made available due to cancellations. We do not operate a wait list and cannot provide a timescale for when further appointments will be released.

Thank you for your patience while we work through a backlog. As soon as we are ready to begin processing your application, your case number will be assigned and sent to you in your application instructions letter. We will send your letter as soon as possible but we cannot predict when this will be.  If your address has changed since your petition was filed, please contact us to provide your updated address.

Once you receive your letter, you should create your Visa Appointment Service account to schedule your appointment. If no appointments are available when you first check, keep checking the calendar regularly for newly released dates and appointments made available due to cancellations. We do not operate a wait list and cannot provide a timescale for when further appointments will be released.

If you have a visa appointment scheduled, please keep checking your Visa Appointment Service account and your email account (including the junk or spam folder). This is where we will send any communication about changes to appointments if necessary. If you have booked a medical examination, please contact the panel physician directly to check the status.

If your case is with NVC, please contact NVC directly to discuss the status of your case, including expedite options. We are unable to answer any questions about NVC cases, including about appointment scheduling. The Embassy’s role is to communicate with NVC about overall appointment capacity, not to allocate interview dates to applicants. Therefore, we cannot predict or influence when your appointment may be scheduled.

If your case is with the Embassy in London and you have received your appointment instruction letter or your previous appointment was canceled, you can sign in to your Visa Appointment Service account to schedule or reschedule your appointment. If your appointment was canceled during lockdown and you have not yet created a Visa Appointment Service account, you will be required to register the original appointment date before you can reschedule to a new date.

We understand that you wish to travel as soon as possible. However, as appointment availability is extremely limited and in fairness to other applicants in the same position as you, we cannot consider expedite requests unless there is critical humanitarian (‘life or death’) reasons for travel. To request an expedited appointment under these circumstances, please sign in to your Visa Appointment Service account and follow the on screen instructions.

If you have a visa appointment scheduled, please keep checking your Visa Appointment Service account and your email account (including the junk or spam folder). This is where we will send any communication about changes to appointments if necessary. If you have booked a medical examination, please contact the panel physician directly to check the status.

You will go through airport-style security screening. You must not bring laptops or bags above cabin-baggage size to your appointment as they are not permitted into the building and there are no storage facilities available. To save time, we recommend that you keep the number of small bags and belongings that you bring with you to an absolute minimum.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus, you must reschedule your appointment through the Visa Appointment Service website. If you have recently entered the UK following international travel, your appointment must take place in compliance with UK quarantine requirements following international travel. This may vary depending on which country you have traveled from. Please see the UK government’s website for further details.

We ask that you attend your appointment unaccompanied if possible. However, if you would like to be accompanied by a carer or translator, or if the visa applicant is under 18 and their parent or legal guardian are not applying for a visa at the same time, please contact us to submit a request to be accompanied. In your message, please include:

• The full name of the visa applicant;
• Their case number;
• The date and time of the visa interview; and
• The full name of the person that wishes to accompany the applicant to the interview, and their relationship to the applicant.

It is not possible to apply for a visa from within the United States. If you are in the U.S. and you wish to apply to adjust status to reside there permanently, you must contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office with jurisdiction over your current location. Contact details are provided through their website.

If USCIS requires information or documentation from the Embassy in London in connection with your application to adjust status, they can contact us through official channels.

If the request to adjust status in the U.S. is denied, you must apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of the United States.

Applicants are given 12 months from the date on which the Embassy’s Immigrant Visa Unit writes to them with their case number and application instructions.

​You do not need to be concerned if the petition in your name expires while you are waiting for K-1 visa services to resume. This is because you can revalidate the petition with a letter from the petitioner stating that you both remain legally free to marry and that you will do so within 90 days of your arrival in the United States. You should take the letter to your visa interview in the future, not mail it or email it to the Embassy now.

Immigrant and fiancé(e) visas should be processed by the embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence. If you move to another country, contact the relevant embassy or consulate to ask that they officially request your case file from the Embassy in London.  If you have moved to the UK, contact us to request a case transfer to U.S. Embassy London.

Which documents should I send?

If documents or scans have been requested by NVC, please click here to visit your CEAC account for information, and contact NVC using the contact form on that website if you still have questions.

If documentation has been requested by the consular officer following a visa interview, you can check the Department of State’s website for information about how to obtain copies of civil documents.

Do not send your passport unless it has specifically been requested from you.

If you’re not sure what documents to submit after checking the letter you were given and the instructions in your Visa Appointment Service account, you can contact us.

How should I send the documents?

Sign in to your Visa Appointment Service account and follow the instructions to send documents to the Embassy. If you see a green ‘Continue’ button, click it to obtain the instructions.

Due to the volume of enquiries we are receiving, we are unable to provide status updates or confirm the receipt of documents. Please continue to monitor your email address as that is where any updates will be sent.

If you have been advised that your application requires additional administrative processing or is under review, that will remain the status of your case until you are notified about the outcome. No expedite service is available. You do not need to monitor the status of your case online as you will be contacted directly when the outcome is known.

We cannot predict how long it may take for your visa to be issued as it varies in each and every case. Any timescales previously provided should be considered as general guidance only. No guarantees are possible, and no expedited or premium processing service is available. We caution you against purchasing tickets or making final travel plans unless you have received your passport containing a valid visa appropriate for your purpose of travel.

If you have been asked to submit additional information or documentation such as a medical report or new passport, additional time must be allowed because the consular officer cannot adjudicate your case until everything has been received.

Due to the volume of enquiries we are receiving, we are unable to provide status updates or confirm the receipt of documents. Please continue to monitor your email address as that is where any updates will be sent.

Delivery tracking information will be sent to the email address on your Visa Appointment Service account. Furthermore, you will be emailed if more information is needed for your case, or if additional processing is required. Therefore it is important for you to check that email account regularly, including any junk or spam folders.

Passports and documents will be delivered by the option chosen when the visa interview was scheduled. Please sign in to your Visa Appointment Service for information. It is not possible for you to collect your passport from the Embassy in person.

Should I have a visa package?

All passports are delivered in a plastic courier envelope. Some courier envelopes will also contain a paper envelope known as a visa package, which clearly states on the back that it should only be opened by immigration officials at the U.S. Port of Entry.

If your visa is annotated with the phrase “IV Docs in CCD,” you will not receive an immigrant visa package. That is because you scanned your supporting documents as part of the visa process.

What should I do if my visa package is damaged or opened?

If your visa package (a paper envelope) has small nicks or tears, you do not need to be concerned. You can apply a small amount of clear tape and explain to the immigration officials that it was damaged during delivery. However, if the damage looks large enough that documents could be removed or fall out, please contact us with your full name, case number, visa category, and planned date of travel to the U.S.

If you received a visa package in a paper envelope, it will clearly state that it should not be opened. If you have accidentally opened it, contact us with your full name, case number, visa category, and planned date of travel to the U.S.

If you were unable to travel due to extenuating circumstances and as a result your current immigrant or fiancé(e) visa has expired, please contact us through our contact form providing your case reference number and the reason you were unable to travel.  We will then advise further.

Your petitioner should write a signed and dated letter asking for the petition in your name to be withdrawn.

The letter should be sent to:

Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Embassy
33 Nine Elms Lane
London SW11 7US

• If your email address changes after you have created a Visa Appointment Service account, please update your account with the new email.
• If your UK address changes, please contact us with your new address.

U.S. Embassy London resumed biometric services.  If we have a DNA kit for your immigrant visa application, then we will contact you with information on how to proceed in due course, however, please be aware that we are working through the backlog caused by COVID-19 and cannot provide an estimated timeframe.