Introduction

Traveling to the US through the normal process may take some time. Because hundreds of applications are being processed every day, you should not wonder if you get a later date for your visa appointment. But at times, you may have to travel to the US urgently and may wonder how you can avoid long waiting times for visa appointments. In this article, we will discuss what is an emergency visa appointment and how you can apply for such an appointment?

What is an Emergency Visa Appointment? 

There can be many reasons that you want to travel to the US, let’s say in the next 2-3 months maximum, such as — your family member in the US is facing medical issues or you are a student and your course in the US university is about to start. At the present moment, the US embassies and consulates are facing delays because of COVID 19, and the visa appointments are scheduled after months.

The reasonable solution for this situation is to give an option to travelers to book emergency visa appointments if their travel falls under emergency grounds. By requesting an emergency appointment, the US embassies or consulates will give you a prior appointment for your visa so that you can travel to the US earlier. 

How can I prove my case for an emergency visa appointment? 

To get your emergency appointment for your visa, you have to provide documentation proving that you have an emergency to travel to the US. Your application will be rejected if you do not provide any reason for approving your emergency visa appointment.

The US authorities are reasonable to understand an emergency case and give you an earlier appointment if you have some genuine emergency. You should not try to make a false emergency case as that can adversely affect the success rate of your visa petition. Typically, the following types of emergency cases get approval from the authorities— 

Medical Emergency 

You can request the authorities for emergency travel to the US, based on a medical emergency such as — if you want to obtain medical treatment in the US, are accompanying a US relative or your employer for their medical care/treatment in the US, or you want to physically and mentally support an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) if they are undergoing emergency medical care in the United States. You can use the following documents to prove your emergency case: 

• The details of the hospital you are willing to undergo medical treatment with, the consent letter of the doctor who will treat you, and your medical illness proof from your domestic doctor. 
• The details of the hospital your relative, employer, or an immediate family member are undergoing medical treatment and proof that they need you to support them. 

Funeral/Death

The US authorities will approve your case for emergency travel in the United States to attend the funeral or make arrangements for repatriating the body of someone who is an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) of yours. The following documents may be required to prove your case: 

• Proof of immediate family relationship with the deceased person. 
• A letter from the funeral director stating the contact information, the details of the deceased, and the date of the funeral.

Business-Related Emergency 

You may request an emergency appointment if you have an unexpected emergency business meeting or training in the United States for less than three months and where the travel requirement could not be predicted sufficiently in advance.

You may accompany your application with the following documentation proof: 

• If there is a meeting in the US company, the details of the invitation to the meeting, predicted details when the meeting would take place, and the importance of your presence in the meeting.  
• Or, if your local company has arranged a training program for you in the US, the details of the program, details of the business, and why the training is crucial for the business of the company. 

Student

If you are a student, you can also request an emergency visa appointment before 60 days of your course starting date. The following evidence may be required for approving your emergency appointment: 

• Evidence that you have paid your fees in full or paid partially and have been maintaining the required funds to support your stay and education. 
• Evidence that your course is starting within 60 days of the filing of your application. 

How can I apply for an emergency visa appointment? 

• Firstly schedule an appointment online for the earliest available date. You cannot book an emergency visa appointment before scheduling an appointment.  

• Complete the emergency request form, and submit it. Make sure to mention the type of emergency which qualifies for an emergency visa appointment. Put that information in the area where they request explanations for your emergency appointment request.

• Once you have submitted the request, you have to wait for the response from the US embassy or consulate. 

• If your request gets approved, then you can schedule your emergency appointment online, and if it is rejected, you should keep your existing appointment.

How many times can I apply for an emergency appointment?

We have been asked this question many times about what if my emergency appointment request gets rejected. Can I apply again? Yes, in case the US embassy rejects your emergency appointment request, you can request again. But, if the subsequent request also gets rejected, then you have to wait for six months before making another emergency appointment request. 

You should also note that in case you are granted an expedited appointment but subsequently refused a visa at the US Embassy or Consulate, you will not be granted another emergency appointment for the next six months. So make sure to get well prepared for the interview along with all the requisite documents. 

Conclusion

For getting your emergency visa appointment request approved, you should support your request with proper documentation. If you want to apply for an emergency appointment, you can take help from our experienced immigration attorneys. Just drop a message to us, and our immigration experts will reach out to you.