Following a Bloomberg article that lists the Georgetown Embassy as the one with the longest wait time for visitor visas, the US Embassy here says that the COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected its visa processing capacity but that last week the wait time for visitor visas decreased significantly as compared to the week before.
The US State Department website travel.state.gov says that for the nonimmigrant visitor visa, the appointment wait time is 401 calendar days as compared to Student and Exchange Visitor Visas being 1 calendar day and all other non-immigrant visas 8 calendar days.
The average global wait time for a visitor’s visa for the United States is 240 days.
“Visa wait times vary by country and depend on local conditions and demand. As of Monday, August 22, 2022, the wait time for visitor visas at Embassy Georgetown decreased significantly from the previous week,” the Embassy said in response to questions from Stabroek News.
Asked about the reason for the long wait times and if processing of visas here for Cubans is a contributing factor to the backlog, the embassy said that “The consular section at Embassy Georgetown takes seriously its responsibility to facilitate legitimate travel to the United States by qualified applicants, while managing the continued risks posed by COVID 19.”
It explained that the COVID-19 pandemic “resulted in profound reductions in the Department of State’s visa processing capacity”, and many of the embassies and consulates worldwide were at times only able to offer emergency services.
“Some of our embassies and consulates are still facing COVID-19-related restrictions and service disruptions, and many continue to face staffing challenges that began during the pandemic,” the embassy stated.
The embassy did not give a timeframe for when the situation will be back to normal but said that “U.S. visa services are open for business. The consular section at Embassy Georgetown carefully monitors wait times and continues to add capacity as possible.”
Bloomberg last week reported that the US Embassy Georgetown topped the list with the longest waiting times for visitor visas. The extended wait here is followed by consulates in Bogota, Colombia; Abuja, Nigeria and Kingston, Jamaica.
The travel.state.gov website explains that the estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate can change weekly and is based on actual incoming workload and staffing. “These are estimates only and do not guarantee the availability of an appointment,” it makes clear.
The website also points out that persons can qualify for an expedited interview appointment as consular sections overseas would determine “if there is an urgent, unforeseen situation such as a funeral, medical emergency, or school start date. “
“The process to request an expedited nonimmigrant visa interview varies by location. You should refer to the instructions on the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section where you will interview, or on their online appointment scheduling site. You will need to provide proof of the need for an earlier appointment,” it notes.
But in all cases those applicants must first submit the online visa application form (DS-160), pay the application fee, and schedule the first available interview appointment, as only at this point will a consular section consider the request for an expedited appointment.
Travel for the purpose of attending weddings and graduation ceremonies, assisting pregnant relatives, participating in an annual business/academic/professional conference, or enjoying last-minute tourism does not qualify for expedited appointments.
The embassy says that for such travel, persons should schedule a regular visa appointment well in advance.
Interview waiver
But the long waits are not necessarily for everyone, as the embassy here has an interview waiver system for persons whose visas expired within the last two years.
“If you are a Guyanese national or resident renewing a visitor (B1/B2) or Transit (C1/D) visa which was previously issued in Guyana, that has expired within the last 48 months, you may be eligible for an “interview waived” appointment,” the US Embassy Georgetown website states.
Instructions on the website guides the applicant on if they qualify for the waiver.
Conditions of eligibility include that the person be a Resident or National of Guyana, their previous visa was issued in Guyana, they have a valid U.S. visa or one that expired within the last 48 months, their previous visa was not lost, stolen, cancelled, or revoked; they were not refused on their last U.S. visa application and they have never been arrested or convicted of a crime; deported from or denied entry to the United States.
