Home » US Visa Stamping Experiences » Emergency US Visa Appointment in India – 2 User Experiences

Emergency US Visa Appointment in India – 2 User Experiences

As US Consulates in India are not yet open due to COVID-19 for regular visa processing, the only way to get US visa stamping is to get an expedite appointment.  Expedited appointments are available only for special situations like medical needs, funeral/death, ESTA Denied, Students or exchange visitors with urgent need or urgent business travel.  

If you are looking for step by step guide for Emergency Appointment, read COMPLETE guide to applying Emergency Appointment in India

Two of our readers (anonymous for privacy reasons) were successful in getting emergency appointment and were kind enough to take time to share their experience for everyone benefit. Thanks a lot to them for sharing the experience with community. We really appreciate it ! You can email your experience as well to redbus2us@gmail.com


Emergency US Visa Appointment for H4 Visa – Chennai, India

Background: H4 visa holder is in India along with child, who is US Citizen.

H1B visa spouse in US.  Applying for H4 visa renewal. Not eligible for Dropbox Stamping.

Filled out DS-160, Booked Appointment before Consulates were closed

I already filled DS-160, paid the US visa fees and booked my appointment. I had biometrics appointment on April 21st and April 22nd was supposed to be my visa interview. Due to COVID-19, my visa interview got cancelled.

Contacting US Consulate in Chennai using email and phone.

Starting from May month I would keep on trying to reach the US consulate by email and through phone call, but no luck. Then comes the Trump H1B travel ban issue, I knew reaching embassy in this situation will be a big failure, I was helpless. 

Below are the email and phone numbers used to send my request and make calls.

After a month, got the clarification on Executive order from Trump that there are some exceptions in travel ban for H4 visa holders and my condition will come under that exception. From next day again I started emailing (every three days I will email them) to embassy requesting for appointment, even that time no luck for me. Usually I would call on Monday and Friday. Literally, I would have called then a dozen times or more. I would get reply, saying “my request has been denied, please reach us once the embassy start there normal process”.   

Tracker for EA Requests : You can check US Visa Emergency Appointment Tracker to understand average processing times based on user contributed data. You can add your case for community benefit too.

Emergency Appointment Response within 48 hours

Usually, the consulate would respond to emails within 48 hours saying that your request is denied.  Below is a screenshot of the denial request from consulate for expedite appointment in India.  

US Emergency Visa Appointment Denied - India
Emergency Appointment Denied – Standard Template reply

Emergency Appointment Request – Baby Vaccination

Finally, on July 30th again I emailed US consulate in Chennai requesting for appointment, reason I mentioned vaccination for my baby who is 10 months old (US citizen). In that email I attached my baby vaccine sheet and I got a letter from her doctor, saying “she is my patient, she missed her 6th and 9th month vaccine, her next due is next month”. Below is the sample vaccination letter that I used. This is my true reason too, not made up.

Doctor Letter Sample for Expedited Appointment US Visa - India
Doctor Letter for Emergency Appointment in India

Expedite Appointment Approval Email – Interview Slots Open

On Aug 3rd I got reply from embassy saying my request has been approved and please reschedule your appointment. Below is the email I got from US Consulate in Chennai. It clearly tells that my emergency appointment validity is only until Aug 6, 2020.

US Emergency Visa Appointment Confirmation - India
Confirmation on Emergency Appointment Approved

After the email, I quickly logged in into my account in USTravelDocs and I saw the slots. The first interview availability was on August 10th, so I booked that appointment.

Important Note – Attaching Proofs of Medical Reason

Every time when I emailed the embassy or called them, I gave the same Medical reason. I did not know why they didn’t approve before. Now, that I look back and think, I was not submitting any proofs in the past emails. So, I suggest you submit any medical reason proof. Also, do not try to make up reason, it has to genuine as they would be verification. If you fabricate any documents, you can be barred from entering US for life.


H4 Visa Expedite Visa Appointment Process, Stamping – Delhi, India

Background : H4 holder in India along with Child. H1B spouse in US. We were requesting for visa stamping based on the vaccination requirement for our baby.

It is important you have the relevant documentation like doctor letter beforehand for providing proofs as needed.

How to get Doctor letter for US Visa Emergency Appointment

   You must have check list for all vaccines for the baby. See what all are pending from that list from the day you were in India. Call you doctor and tell them you haven’t visited Indian doctor as the situation is not good. They will give you a letter or note with list of vaccines due.

Important : While requesting emergency approval mention clearly that Vaccines are highly recommended for Kids immunity.

Steps to Apply for Expedite Appointment from New Delhi

Below are the steps followed by me to get the Emergency appointment

  1. Send out an email to NivND@state.gov regarding your situation. make sure you provide valid reasons
  2. Vaccine due for kids ( this can be considered for expedite approval)
  3. Family Separation ( mention depression problems or health condition is not good for spouse due to separation). Wait for their reply, usually takes 1-2 business days.
  4. They will forward email to Hyderabad Consulate & support@ustraveldocs.com. Support team will create a case for your request and update their comments.
  5. If they consider its valid request then you get an email from support@ustraveldocs.com to raise expedite request, they provide link.
  6. Click on link which navigates to US Visa Travel docs website, there you can choose emergency request link. When you open the form, it looks like below, you choose the Medical Needs.US Emergency appointment booking options
  7. Select Medical reasons for emergency request and provide documentation if available. In my case, I called doctor office and requested them to provide a letter or doctor note for vaccines due. I uploaded this document in expedite request and click submit.
  8. After 8 PM EST you will receive notification for approval or rejection from US consulate. If approved the will ask you to reschedule appointment before 6 days of approval. Approved cases will have new dates in appointment selection, and I believe only New Delhi & Chennai locations are operating.

H4 Visa Interview, Biometrics with Emergency Appointment

  • Both Biometric and Visa interview will be done at same place (no need to visit VFS locations for Biometric).
  • Collect all required documents & supporting documents, there is no queue and they call by name.
  • Interview was very smooth they ask about spouse details, address etc. Visa officer will ask you to collect passport next day. 

Did any of you apply for emergency appointment ? How was your process? Do share your experiences in comments for community benefit.

The general process for US emergency visa appointment for India is described on the ustraveldocs India expedite appointment details page.

   

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669 Comments

  1. Emergency appointments are available only at the consulate. Even if you are eligible for dropbox, answer no to one of the questions. That will take you to a consular appointment page. Select one of the dates available even if they are 6 months later. Then submit a request for an expedited appointment. This option will be available once you have a regular appointment. Consulate will respond to you with in 2 to 3 days. If they approve the request, you will see dates available in the next few days.

    Reply
  2. H1 and H4 EA Dropbox experience

    4/26 – H1 and H4 together Dropbox appointment at Chennai consulate was cancelled for 4/28 due to Covid lockdown
    5/18 at Noon – No Active appointments. EA request (US citizen kid medical needs) sent to Hyd consulate as direct email. After 3 hours, Received Generic email to submit EA request from portal.
    5/18 at 6pm – EA request (US citizen kid medical needs) sent to Chennai consulate as direct email.
    5/20 at Noon – Received email from Chennai consulate to confirm Name, Passport, Receipt No and also confirmation for the applicants are within Chennai district. Responded immediately.
    5/20 at 5pm – EA request Approved
    5/21 at 2pm – EA Dropbox submitted
    5/22 to 5/31 – Case Status – No Status ( Chennai VAC is closed due to strict lockdown imposed by TN Govt )
    5/22 to 5/31 – Passport status – Passport is being delivered
    6/1- Case Status – Application Received Status for H1B and No Status for H4
    6/1 – Passport tracker – Passport is still with US embassy for both H1B and H4
    6/9 – Status changed to Admin Process for both H1 and H4
    6/10 – Visa issued for H1 and Admin process for H4
    6/10 – Passport tracker for H1 – Passport has been received from consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery
    6/12 – H1’s Passport delivered to Home address. No annotations on the passport.
    6/14 – Passport Issued for H4
    6/14 – Passport tracker for H4 – Passport has been received from consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery
    6/16 – H4’s Passport delivered to Home address. No annotations on the passport.

    Zero hope when Appointment was cancelled and Embassies were closed, no more appointments in the portal. Not sure how many days, months and years going to struck here. However Telegram groups helped me to apply EA and get the Visa. Thanks you everyone for sharing your experiences which helped to come out of stress and gave hope. All the best for everyone and want to see all your success stories.

    Reply
  3. Hello Kumar,
    I tried applying for an emergency appointment request today. After I clicked the submit button I got this error message “Error occurred while loading a Visaulforce Page”. Does this simply mean that the confirmation page failed to load or there are issues with my submission and attachments? As long as the attached documents and request went through I am fine. Can you please clarify or anyone who had a similar experience?. Btw great work with all the information you provide here for people.
    Thanks,
    Arun

    Reply
  4. Please help . I had my dropbox appointment in 3rd week of May 2021 which got cancelled.
    I raised expedite emergency request which got approved .But when i login to book slot , it shows no slots available with message “your grp size is larger than current allocation” .

    My whole family was covid positive . My father passed away . My mom got discharged after 18 days in the hospital . My sister and her husband took about 12 days to recover at home . So I had to travel to be with my mom for post discharge care . My 3.5yr old son is in US with my husband.

    When i called customer care they said there is no expedite for drop box and your request was approved as system glitch . So what is the way out in my case to get my case expedited . There are no slots available before Aug/Sept and customer support says keep monitoring your account and book as the slots become available.

    Has anyone faced this issue.Please help

    Reply
    • Hi Swetha,
      I am in similar situation. My wife is in INDIA and she is drop box eligible for L2. I applied for emergency request with medical reasons, but, looking at your post, it wont get approved.
      Not sure, why emergency is not applicable for drop box appointment as we have valid medical reasons.
      Keep posted if you get any luck.
      FYI,
      1. We had our DropBox appointment with Chennai Consulate (drop box at Bengaluru) on April 29 which got cancelled.
      2. No slots available in any consulate till September, Found September 8 at Delhi (already too late as we have medical needs, still went ahead and booked)
      3. After I learned about, emergency request, we applied and waiting for approval ad I came across your post.

      Reply
      • Also, so sorry to hear about your family situation. I pray God for your family for speedy recovery.

        Reply
      • Hi Madhusudhan Reddy Yarrabathini,
        WE are in same boat. My wife is india and eligible for H1 dropbox appointment. Since no slots available for dropbox we are kind of stuck for now. How did you raised emergency appointment request? There is no emergency request available for drop box right?. Could you help us with the procedure.
        Thanks.

        Reply
      • Hi Madhusudhan Reddy Yarrabathini,

        I have a similar situation:
        1. Had drop box appointment on May 11th, which got cancelled.
        2. Tried to book another drop box multiple times after that but everytime it says – no appointments available at every location
        3. Would like to request an emergency appointment as my kid is US born and so we are exempted from travel ban. But not able to do so:
        a. No option for emergency appointment when I log in
        b. There is no drop box appointment available, so not able to book
        c. I tried answering the first question incrroectly so that the in person interview is not waived, then I could see some OFC appointments available and my understanding is if I book that appointment, then I would see the option to request emergency appointment. But my question is :

        1. Is it ok to bypass that interview waiver by answering incorrectly?
        2. If not, then what is the way to request emergency appointment if you are qualified for drop box only and there is no drop box appointment available?

        Reply
        • Somanko,
          No, you should not answer it wrongly. You should email the consulate and share your issue, they will open up the slots for you to book.

          Reply
  5. I only have an option to schedule consular appointment & not seeing an option for VAC biometrics appointment.

    Did anyone face this?

    Reply
  6. EA reschedule always gives the “Your group size is larger than the current allocation” message. I only have 1 more day to utilize the slot. Please guide me.

    I have sent an email to US Doc, still awaiting response. Any one knows the Customer care #?

    Reply
  7. Hi…I have been given b1b2 visa 5times and visited the states 5times.in Nov,2019,I applied for renewal, I have never overstay,have a good job but I was told to bring a document unfortunately, the day I was scheduled to bring the document for interview was cancelled because of covid. Since then, I have had my appointment cancelled by the embassy 4times.
    On one of my trips,I had seen the doctor and I was due to go back for treatment. Recently I applied for EA for medical becuz I am not well and submitted all documents and got a response the same day that it was under review. but it has been 13 days and no reply for approval or denied.
    I called the embassy and the person checked and said my case was under review but then she said the fact that I have not receive a response means it was not approved.
    My question is….I read that usually you should receive a reply for EA request in 1-2 days whether it is approve or denied.
    Dies it mean that she is saying the truth that if you don’t receive a reply then automatically it is denied?

    Reply
  8. Hi All,

    I am trying to book a regular H1B VISA appointment through CGI portal I am trying in New Delhi VAC, though I am from Kolkata but not getting any slots in Kolkata. I am getting an available dates in March but when click on it and choosing a time it is saying no available appointment. Has any body faced the same,Kindly share and also how to resolve it?

    Reply
    • I am having the same issue, did you find out more about this? I am so frustrated, not sure how to get this fixed

      Reply
  9. Hi All,
    I was wanting to go to India to get my H1B renewal and I see the slots open. I filled my DS-160 form, paid the fees and now I see the dates open. I had previously received 221(g) and so I need to appear for in person interview. When I go to book the slots, I see a VAC appointment that I need to book before the interview? Why is VAC required in H1B? I’ve never seen this happen before.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Hi Kumar ..

    I heard that few people are either put in 221g or stamped with annotation on the visa saying that you cannot travel until the ban is in place. Do you know anything related to this ??

    Reply
    • Seema,
      If they are not exempt and go for stamping, they may get that. Also, in general, some do get these as part of general process as well.

      Reply
      • Kumar,

        My husband was in hospitality and entertainment industry and he had to change his job due to the impact of pandemic! My H4 visa petition was pending through his previous company. As it would have avoided his change of job, and put me out of status I had to travel back to India.
        Now I have visa interview which is approved through emergency for H4 stamping , so should I mention the same reason or just I can say that I travelled back to meet my family in India.

        Reply
        • Seema,
          If you were out of status, you have to mention that. If you were not out of status, on the day you exited, it does not matter.

          Reply
  11. Update on my case: I followed this group chat during September 2020 when raising Emergency request.
    1. Raised Emergency in September 8, 2020- under the Proclamation which was tied to H1B rules to get EA- Submitted EA with the reason of going back on same visa category under same employer and same lca, no change in employment
    2. During that time my petition was valid till December 25, 2020
    3. Guess what, I got email on December 31, 2020 – stating the Emergency request is approved and given chance to appear in interview until January 29, 2021

    It was waiting time of 3 months, 24 days for just EA approval in this pandemic

    Now since my petition is expired and does not make sense to go and appear interview with expired one. I don’t have an approved extension petition with future dates.

    My earlier normal appointment booking is cancelled by the ustravel team, leaving the window open for EA dates to be selected for interview.

    Question is:
    Considering this is EA approval to select dates- which is one chance,
    Does anyone know if I try selecting some date for interview, then can I cancel this by my own, or Cancel appointment will show up if I proceed, because this approval is given late to me and I don’t have approved petition for now to go for interview?
    OR
    If I just leave this as it is and don’t do anything – like not selecting any dates and leave this EA approval as it is(not scheduling anything for given EA approval dates). Is it okay here?
    It wont create any trouble for future travel if I plan to appear again by filling DS160 for new approved petition, correct?

    Any suggestion would help!

    Reply
  12. Anyone can please let me know the letter format from doctor for emergency visa. My father admitted in IC U, I need a letter format.

    Reply
  13. Hi ..here is a situation . My Emergency appointment is approved for January 22 and 28th . But my passport is expiring on feb 11th 2021. So will it be a problem during visa stamping and also I have my renewed passport with me.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
      • I have my visa appointment on jan 24th and 25th . My passport is expiring on feb 9th 2021. Also I have my renewed passport with me. So I’d it fine if I carry both the passports for visa interview as I cannot change passport number now.

        Reply
        • Carry all passports what you have, they should consider new passport to stamp. If you had received renewed passport by the time you were filling the DS160, then it might come as question but you can give some valid reasons.

          Reply
  14. Hello Kumar and everyone, I had my regular H4 visa appointments on March 7 and 8 in Kolkata and I had raised a request for emergency appointment. This regular appointment was cancelled by the consulate. 3 days ago, I was able to book a new regular appointment in New Delhi for Jan 22nd (VAC) and Jan 28th (interview). And today I got my emergency appointment approval email which I had asked for CHENNAI consulate.

    I am trying to reschedule my appointment to get the slot in Chennai as the approval email says it will be only valid through Jan 13th. However, when I go to select the consular appointment, I see the message as ” Your group size is larger than the current allocation ” as below attached. But I am applying for only myself and not a group. Please advise on how to reschedule the appointment in CHENNAI. Thanks a ton in advance. Regards

    Reply
      • I have called and emailed ustraveldocs but they say keep checking and trying twice in a day. It has been second day since I received EA approved email. Is there a solution to “Your group size is larger than the current allocation” issue? Please help what should be done to book my Emergency appointment.

        Reply
      • Hi Kumar,

        I had tried support desk and spoke with multiple people but all they had to say is, keep trying as slots are available in first come basis. This is been going on from 9th Feb and tomorrow (20th Feb) is the cut-off date for me to schedule appointment.
        I had even cancelled my earlier appointment and tried but of no luck. I am still stuck in that group size error message page.
        Will they extend our cut-off time in such scenarios as its not in our hands.
        Any suggestion?

        Reply
        • I am facing the similar issue. Can some please let me know how this issue was fixed? I cancelled the Regular appointment but still facing the same issue. Your response is highly appreciated.

          Reply
          • I’m also facing the same issue “your group size is larger than the current allocation” even after cancelled regular appointment. How to solve this issue and reschedule appointment? If anyone solved the problem please update here

        • Hi Seema,

          They asked me to cancel my regular appointment in Delhi and then click on Schedule appointment to schedule my emergency appointment in Chennai. They mentioned that it’s upto us if we want to schedule EA in Chennai or attend the regular appointment in Delhi. My regular appointment in Delhi is on 19th and 29th Jan

          Reply
          • Update on the ‘Group size’ issue. Customer care asked me to cancel my regular appointment before booking emergency appointment. I went ahead and cancelled my regular appointment, after that I was not able to see the ‘group size’ message and I was able to book my emergency appointment in Chennai.

          • Yes even I cancelled my existing appointment and scheduled new appointment. I didn’t see any group size error and I m able to book a slot in Chennai.

          • Hi Kaushik, I was getting the same error message “Your group size is larger than the current allocation” while trying to book my EA for the month of feb, after reading comments here, I canceled my regular appointment (29th jan delhi). However, I am still getting the same error message. Any suggestions??

          • Same issue here & even after canceling my regular appointment still keep getting the same error message. Is their a solution?

    • Hi Seema,

      I applied EA in chennai in Nov last week and still waiting. When did you apply for emergency appointment in Chennai ? Just want to know how long would be our wait times.

      Thanks

      Reply
    • Hi All,
      I had the Same issue, sent an email to ‘support-india@ustraveldocs.com’ and they helped me to resolve the issue. Now booked an appointment.

      Thank You

      Reply
      • Please, how was it settled? Did they let you know what the issue was? Was the emergency appointment booked from there end or you did on your own?
        Please reply. It’s urgent.

        Reply
    • Hi Seemashri,

      After scheduling your regular appointment in Kolkata/Delhi have you been you able to request for your EA in Chennai? was there any issue so far requesting for different location for EA. As I am from Kolkata but not getting any regular slot (VAC) in Kolkata, so trying to get any in New Delhi but want to request EA for Kolkata. Is it possible?means are they entertaining the request? please do reply

      Reply
  15. My fiance is in US on H1B which is approved but not stamped. Her regular appointment for h1b stamping was cancelled by the consulate. We applied for EA stating that her mother needs medical attention in India but that was rejected the same day.

    She is unable to travel to India because of which we can’t meet / get married because she wont be able to re-enter US. I am thinking of applying for EA (b1/b2 visa).

    Please share your thoughts/advice.

    Reply
    • himanshu,
      It is going to be very hard to get it approved EA for B1/B2 as that is not an emergecny as per them….Also, if she is on H1B, getting B1/B2 not the best idea as it can create issues as the intent changes.

      Reply
  16. Hi,

    I have a need to apply for a B2 Visa for my mom or aunt from Hyderabad. I got a letter from my wife’s doctor that she needs someone to support her here as she is in 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

    I have paid Visa fee and tried a couple of times but could not book a date.
    What is the process to do this as an emergency case?
    Any help is appreciated.

    Thanks in Advance.

    Reply
      • Thank you.

        We can not book a general appointment as it shows OFC dates are not available every time I select a date and continue.
        I know pregnancy is not an EA case, but we want to try as we have no other option.

        Reply
      • Hi,
        I travelled to India in November for my father’s funeral . I have to attend H1 restamping in person as my visa expired more then 24 months. I can see Vac dates but when I click continue after selecting a date, the system will say no Ofc date available. Does anyone having same issues with h1b?

        I really need help as I need to go back my family I’d back in us.

        Thanks
        Jainender

        Reply
        • Hello Jainender,

          I’m in a similar situation. They gave me an emergency approval from Dec 27th to Dec 31st, however I checked for consular slots every 4 hours without any luck. Now that the emergency approval window for me has expired, I checked today for slots, and surprisingly I got an appointment at Delhi consulate for 27th of Jan (Consular), and 13th Jan (VAC). I have sent them an email asking if this appointment will be honored. Adding onto that, Trump extended the H1B ban until March 31st, so I’m really unsure if I’ll get 221g or approval even if my appointment goes through. Will update in any case.

          Regards,
          Palash

          Reply
        • Jaineder,
          Sorry to hear about your loss. This means that there are no slots are available. You need to keep looking. It is very difficult to get slots.

          Reply
          • Hello Kumar

            As my H4 visa appointment got booked for January 2020. My query is

            Is there any chance that they can straight away give 221g bcoz of the ban on H1/H4 visa until March 31st.

          • Rashi,
            No, they will not, if you are exempt from it. 221g is hard to say, it varies by case, but will not be just for the travel ban thing.

    • Hi,
      Did you try requesting for expedite appointment for pregnancy? Were you able to get the appointment slots by any other means? I am in exactly same situation as you

      Reply
  17. Hi Kumar,

    We have booked for regular appointment for H1/H4 at Hyderabad consulate for feb17th. We applied for EA on Dec14th and received an email saying that “post is reviewing our request”.

    However, On dec 22 we received an email saying that all the feb appointments at Hyderabad are canceled and we need to reschedule.

    So, my queries are
    1. Will my EA still be applicable to Hyderabad location.
    2. Should I wait for the EA response and then book for the regular appointment.
    3. How many times can we request for EA in a year.

    Thanks,
    Manasa

    Reply
    • Swarup,
      1. If your appointment is cancelled, then you may need to book again a future date.
      2. You do not have to wait for it, just book something that is available.
      3. Once only for a receipt.

      Reply
  18. Hey guys,

    I have applied for h4 EA for my spouse on Nov 29th to Chennai embassy. Other than wait patiently emails, still didn’t get any approval or rejection.
    Does this mean they have looked at my application and just keeping it on hold for now or they havent even considered my application yet.
    It’s been more than 3 weeks now. How long have been the wait times recently ?

    Reply
      • Thanks for the response. We did not receive the response you mentioned but received an email –

        “We have received and noted your request for an EA“

        nothing about “reviewing your request”.

        Reply
    • indy,
      This has been the state of many, waiting. There are many who waited for over 60 days too. All you can do is wait and follow up as needed. Check https://h1bgrader.com/trackers/us-emergency-visa-appointments to get an idea of current times.

      Reply
  19. Hi All,

    Has anyone recently applied for EA in the Hyderabad consulate? My EA request has been approved after 3 weeks of waiting, but unable to find the dates despite checking frequently. Keep getting the message that the “size is greater than the allocated group”

    -Also I was told to look for dates only at the Hyderabad consulate as my case for EA was approved. Is that always the case?

    Reply
  20. Hi, I have scheduled my visa interview for Feb 2021. I learnt that the visa dates are getting cancelled, if not an emergency case. I am in Canada on PR my husband works in US on H1B. I am pregnant and would need husband’s assistance. Will this be considered a case of family separation to keep my appointment. Should I inform about my pregnancy to the embassy. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi, I had attached the following:
      Short description for emergency request.
      Employer letter stating why you need to be present in US.
      Latest I-797 approval
      Mine was same employer, same role.

      Reply
    • Ayiswaria,
      Well, you need to submit the business need on why you need EA. In general, extension should be eligible for dropbox, if your visa expired within 24 months.

      Reply
  21. Dear Team,

    I had scheduled normal appointment for H4 on 17 th March 2021. Raised EA approval yesterday. Got approval today. It says approval is valid till 14th Dec . But when I am trying to reschedule appointment I am not seeing any date prior to March 2021.

    Reply
    • Hi Viraj,

      I faced the similar issue. My suggestion is to keep login to your profile every 4hrs. There should be a gap of 4hrs from login to login otherwise your account will be locked for 24-72 hrs.

      I believe you could able to see OFC dates but not Consular dates, right? sometimes, the OFC dates shows for Feb or Mar or even later. Don’t get upset; as I said keep checking every 4 hrs. If you see any OFC dates in Dec, for example, 15, 16…Don’t select the first available date and click continue button. By doing that, you will see a message “Your group size is larger than the current location” in Consular appointment window. Instead, select the next best available date in OFC window and that will let you to see the dates available for Consular appointment.

      This could be some kind of bug in the system(i’m not sure).

      I shared my experience, hope it works for you.
      Good luck!

      Reply
      • Hi Lakshmi,
        I got my EA approved today and when I tried to reschedule appointment and select OFC date I am getting this error saying ” Your group size is larger than the current location” . Can you please help me out. I am able to see dates of 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 20.

        Reply
        • Leave 13th and select any other date. Hope it should provide consular dates. Because whenever I selected the first available OFC date, it used to throw the same error. However, when I selected the next available date, it let me to consular dates.

          Hope it works in your case too. All the best!

          Reply
          • Hi Lakshmi,

            I have a query on EA request. After paying the visa fee if I select a particular consulate(based on slots availability) for a regular H1B slot will my EA request be limited to that consulate only? Will I not be able to get an EA slot in a different consulate?

          • Bala,
            Yes, it will be limited to that consulate only. You can change the EA location only when the regular slot is changed to other location.

        • Hi vyomesh,

          I am facing the same issue since dec 7, getting same error, please let me know of u have any solution

          That would be really appreciated

          Thanks
          Leela

          Reply
          • Thanks Kumar for your reply.
            Based on my passport address or work location the nearest consulate is Hyderabad. But I see that they have long reply/wait times. So I was thinking to opt for Mumbai or Delhi. Will they scrutinize on this point why are you applying to a farther consulate? And also does long wait times make sense in case of EA requests?

            Another query of mine is should I be booking both OFC and consular slots before requesting for EA? On which page(OFC or consular) will I find the option for the EA request?

        • Hi Vyomesh, did you manage to get the consular appointment? if yes, any particular time of the day or day of the week you tried? I have my EA approved but now struggling to get a consular appointment with the same error as you mentioned above. Thanks in advance!

          Reply
          • Rajesh,

            Have you received like this message below before your EA is approved.

            You have received the following message regarding your Emergency/Group scheduling request:

            Post is reviewing this request. We will furnish a suitable response when our review is complete, and as staffing needs and health and safety protocols allow.

      • Hi Viraj,

        I am facing the same issue since dec 7 my ea got approved i was only able to see feb dates, but now i was able to see 2 dates in dec but when i select any of one of the slot its throwing the same error at the interview appointment phase, do i need to check every 6 hrs interval mandatory, i am worried please do suggest

        Thanks
        Leela

        Reply
          • I am facing a similar issue after my EA got approved. I have been checking since the past 2 days, every couple of hours and with various OFC dates. Were you guys able to get any consular appointment dates?

      • Hi kumar,
        Thanks for replying us in all the conditions.
        Yesterday I was given a consular interview for new H1b job with dependents. Interview was gone well, she asked so many questions and how iam exempt from proclamation, waht are the wage levels etc. But last she given a white slip with case number, said you will receive a email with questionair and reply immediately and it take 3-4 weeks processing time.
        Submitted our passports too.
        Same day evening received email with questionair and reverted with my answers, curriculum vitae and employer letters.
        When I checked my case status it showing “refused”, as the consular officer.
        In this regard your suggestion is required, really Iam worried.

        Reply
        • hi Kumar,

          Today i have received email states that your passport is returned back, please collect it from location. yesterday after submitting all the documents, i have received email showing that your case is under administrative process and it takes 60 to 90 days.
          but suddenly i have received email to collect the passport means it was rejected hope so.
          iam very unfortunate.
          best of luck every one.

          thanks for your kind support in all the situations.

          Reply
          • Sai,
            It is not all over, just means that something is missing. So, stay positive and see your options. Talk to your attorney on this and seek their guidance.

          • Dear kumar,

            thanks for you reply. Today i was collected my passports and no stamping was observed. Passport enclosed with white slip (221 (g)) stating case number and with tick mark on “your application requires additional administrative processing before a final decision can be made”.
            what it means?, your suggestion in this regard highly appreciated.

          • sai,
            It means that they have put your application under administrative processing. All you can do is wait for their response. They would contact you on next steps. There is no estimated time on this processing.

          • Thanks Kumar for your kind support.
            during interview consular said you will receive an email with documents request and questionnaire, immediately reply for that and it may takes 3 to 4weeks for processing once after submission of questionnaire.

            basis on your previous experience, can we expect any positive from them?

            as you said we have to wait for their response….thanks

          • sai,
            If they said so, usually they will send the details. Give it some time. Well, based on past, if they say anything, they usually abide by that…so, stay positive.

          • Hi kumar
            Today I was received following email from consulate for follow up for refusee visa status.

            Dear Applicant:

            Thank you for your correspondence to the U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad.

            We would like to inform you that your case is undergoing processing. This processing is mandatory and cannot be expedited. While we understand your concern and probable frustration, we cannot speed things up. Please wait for the processing to be completed.

            We advise applicants to not make travel arrangements until your passport is at hand since the processing times may vary.

            We hope this information is useful to you.

            Sincerely,

            Consular Analysis and Liaison Unit
            U.S. Consulate General
            Hyderabad, India

            Release of Visa Records

            Department of State visa case records are confidential under INA section 222(f), so information can only be provided to visa applicants, with some exceptions. Certain information can be provided to attorneys or representative of visa applicants who have a form G-28 registered with the Consulate or members of Congress.

            What does it means, can I take this as positive?

          • Sai,
            They have not denied it and seem to be processing it…so need to wait. It is better than denial. So, stay positive.

          • Hi kumar
            Thanks for quick reply.
            Every time time you are keeping in support mode.
            I vll wait for positive response..bro

          • Hi Kumar,
            thanks for your support.
            after 221g review, received an email to submit passports of mine and dependents on Feb 10th.
            Later status changed from Refused with short text>AP>application received>Refused with long text.
            today(17th Feb) received an email for re-interview of main applicant.
            on march 02.
            this is frustrating for me. kindly suggest is this positive sign or not?.
            behind this h1b visa iam loosing my confidence.

    • Hi Viraj,

      Can you please email me the sample format of the request used for H4 EA?

      We have scheduled an appointment for March 19, 2021. Requested for EA on November 1st week. Unfortunately, we got denied the EA request without any reason. Trying to apply one more time. Need some help.

      Reply
  22. Hi All,

    I got married in October 2020 and planning to apply for a new H4 visa for my wife. I got a regular appointment in Feb 2021. I have the following questions,

    – What should I select as a reason for EA in the CGI portal?
    – I see EA requests are being rejected for family separation reasons, Can anyone post the sample description for the EA request.
    – Which attachments should I upload for EA request?

    Reply
    • Mohan,
      you would select it under medical.
      They are rejected because consulates are not accepting the current EA exemptions under proclamation. They are only considering the cases, where there is real emergency..
      If you want to give it a try, you can submit proof of marriage, proof of your status in US.

      Reply
      • Thanks Kumar for reply.
        I’ve submitted the Emergency request by attaching I94 and Marriage certificate on Dec 10th 2020 and still waiting for the reply.

        Is this the best option to follow up with embassy guys about my request? I would like to send an email to Hyderabad embassy. Can you pls send the contact email.

        Reply
        • Mohan,
          You may try that. But, the fact is that they are not approving many EA requests lately, unless they are really emergency due to the shortage of staff. They have given such indication and many continue to wait for EA approval.

          Reply
          • Thanks, Kumar.
            Got the below response from the embassy,

            You have received the following message regarding your Emergency/Group scheduling request:

            Post is reviewing this request. We will furnish a suitable response when our review is complete, and as staffing needs and health and safety protocols allow.

            Does that mean they keep it on hold for a reply?

  23. Hello guys,

    I have requested an emergency appointment on 18th August for H1B and my EA got approved on November 21st. My visa was approved on 3rd December in Delhi. They took more than 2 months to approve my request and the interview was like 2 minutes. These 2 months I was thinking of canceling the request and resubmit with better-supporting documents, but I had a doubt that they might approve the request so, I kept on waiting.

    Whoever got the reply saying “we will reassess your request once we elaborate our services” I suggest you wait patiently.

    They will approve at some point if they did not deny it in the first place.

    Reply
  24. Hi,

    I have scheduled H4 visa appointment on March 10th, 2021. I have raised for EA request on Oct-13, 2020 and got denied today.

    After raising my EA request in CGI portal earlier, I was not able to see EA request option in portal. but Now, I am able to see EA request again without paying fees and cancelling existing appointment to raise EA request again. lot of people mentioned in the comments that we can only raise EA request once and if its denied, we have to lapse the previous appointment and pay the fees again to get EA Request option.

    Can I submit EA Request again as its available for me in the portal?
    Does any one have similar situation?

    Reply
    • Hi Sam,
      I got the same option too but I don’t know what it means.
      Were you able to raise the 2nd request using it?
      If anyone else has any answer, please keep us posted on this thread!

      Reply
  25. Hi Kumar,

    I applied for emergency request for F1 visa. Its been 3 days no reply from embassy about confirmation or denial.

    Appreciate your valuable feedback

    Thanks

    Reply
  26. We tried for an emergency appointment twice and got rejected both times.

    We got married late Oct 2020, applied for an emergency request in Mumbai and were rejected. We thought our description may not have been adequate so we have expired our fee and applied for a new emergency request with a new fee, this time in New Delhi. After waiting for 3 weeks+, the request was denied again with no reason. Extremely frustrating. Anyone else face this issue? Can anything be done or should we just keep our regular appointment?

    Reply
    • Kartik,
      Sorry to hear. You are not alone. They have really reduced the number of appointments that are approved under Emergency. So, it is tricky. There are many like your situation. It has nothing to do with your description. As per them yours may not be classified as emergency. In the beginning they were approving, but recently they are not doing it well.

      Reply
    • hi Kartik
      I had the same issue, my first EA was denied and 2nd EA was approved.
      make sure your EA request letter is very strong.
      like in my case my wife was not well and we had a doctor’s letter which suggested surgical treatment too
      hence it got approved.
      stamping also got approved for h1

      hence try again with strong justification
      I cannot comment on business-critical justification as it was denied for me too

      Reply
  27. Hi Guys,
    I recently applied for Emergency Request for H4 visa in Mumbai consulate with medical needs and it immediately got denied within 4 hours. Has anyone been able to get their EA request approved in Mumbai consulate recently?

    Reply
    • Hrishi,
      There are many who are waiting for EA decisions. You can check the trakcer at https://h1bgrader.com/trackers/us-emergency-visa-appointments.
      Some have got such denials too…

      Reply
      • Hi Kumar,
        After raising the EA request I waited for almost 2 months but unfortunately the request got denied. My question is can we can the current normal appointment which is scheduled in March 2021, again use the same fee receipt to raise a new EA request?

        Reply
        • Hi Kumar,
          After raising the EA request I waited for almost 2 months but unfortunately the request got denied. My question is can we cancel the current normal appointment which is scheduled in March 2021, again use the same fee receipt to raise a new EA request?

          Reply
    • Could you please let me know, how frequently you checked for appointment and what’s the time gap between appointment check.
      I also desperately need to book appointment with mumbai counsalate but till now no luck.
      Could you please share some tips and techniques if you followed something

      Reply
    • Dear kumar
      Thanks for your support.
      Today I got emergency appointment request approval, then I login in app and clicked on reschedule option, after selection of OFC date in next window showing that “your group size is larger than the current allocation”.
      Along with me, my wife and child were applied for visa interview.
      Kindly provide your valuable suggestions to schedule it.

      Thanks..

      Reply
    • Ashish,
      If you have submitted it, you will not have an option to check or create a new one there. All you can do is wait for them to come back. You may email them for status.

      Reply
  28. Hi!
    i have to visit hyderabad, india from US since my mother is been hospitalised.
    She needs me very badly. but i have no stamping and my kids too who attend 8 and 6 grade in US. i am on h4 visa. need to return back by dec31. how much time it will take for stamping on passport in india?

    Reply
    • Pratima,
      Sorry to hear…The challenge is to get appointment, it is very hard to say. If you get an appointment and no complications, then it may take up to couple of weeks. Also, if you are not eligible for dropbox, you need to get Emergency appointment, that has a very long wait time. Check some data here at H1B EA wait times

      Reply
  29. I see that most of the recent EA requests in Mumbai are getting denied the same day or next day. Has anyone experienced the same? Would applying at other locations increase my chances of approval?

    Reply
  30. Can my wife apply for Expedited request for her F2 VISA. If so what options to choose, the only option seem relevant is Student/Exchange visitors. I have a valid F1 and currently working. It has been more than a year we are living separately. We have a regular appointment for next year, but want an expedited one this or next month. Please suggest.

    Reply
    • Ashish,
      You may try, but they have clearly told recently on twitter that they are not honoring F2 visa stampings as there are shortage of the appointments.

      Reply
  31. I want to visit India and I am eligible for dropbox until Dec 31, 2020 (new extension of 24 months). Is dropbox available only for emergency appointments? and what are the wait times for drop box in India?

    Reply
  32. Hello,

    Can we email respective embassy regarding the EA status?
    Is EA being given if tentative travel date is very near? Or depends on the valid reason?

    Reply
    • Hi,

      Did anyone recently apply for a B2 visitor visa for parents? If yes, can you please share the process. I was looking for an appointment from either Chennai or Hyderabad US consulted.

      Reply
      • Sri,
        The process is no different from other visa types. The big catch is getting the appointment now in India as there are very limited appointments and they are not open for regular visa stampings. Only Emergency appoints are honoured now.

        Reply
  33. Hi
    I have submitted my EA request on Sep 3 and no response till date. I am calling twice a week and sending mails as well. Response is same as from the beginning that – “Thanks for your inquiry, we will let you know when the slots are available.”

    Reply
  34. Hi
    Does anyone have any idea if Chennai consulate is approving expedited appointment requests for L-1 (Blanket) Visa?
    Normal appointments are not available, and when I wrote to Chennai consulate requesting for an expedited appointment, my request was rejected.

    Reply
    • Ravi,
      There are delays and they are not approving the expedited appointments as before. Many are in pending state and they are denying too. They gave guidance earlier this month telling they are only processing really urgent cases.

      Reply
  35. Does anyone have any idea if the consulates in India are approving expedited appointment requests for F-1 Visa on OPT?
    I am applying for an EA for F-1 Visa with the reason being ‘Business Need’ related to my job on OPT.
    I know that they are considering EA requests for F-1 with the university start date reason, but haven’t read anything about this situation (F-1 + OPT + business need).

    Reply
  36. Can my spouse apply for F2 visa, we are getting married in Feb ’21 and my OPT expires in June ’21. Heard that the slots in Feb and March are going to be cancelled.

    Reply
    • Haven’t seen recent EA approvals from any of the consulates. Did the consulates stop processing or people refrained from sharing their experience?

      Reply
      • Ashish,
        Consulates have reduced the pace of approving the EA. They gave guidance telling that only, in emergency cases they are approving…so, people are sharing, just that nothing is happening. They are doing more of the Dropbox kind of applications.

        Reply
  37. Hi,
    Can anyone help? I have 1 question regarding appointment booking. If I fill my application ds160 for Mumbai consulate. Can I book ofc appointment for Mumbai and consulate appointment in delhi?

    Reply
  38. Hello everyone, this is a very useful thread. Thanks all for contributing. I have a questions: Did you guys get any confirmation email saying that your EA request is received once you raise the request through the scheduling portal? I requested for EA and uploaded the documents, but didn’t receive any confirmation as such. But now in my profile I no longer see the EA request link. Is this something expected?

    Reply
    • Baljeet,
      It is expected, you may or may not get confirmation. yes, the link would be gone, if it was successful. You can write to the UStravedocs if you want confirmation.

      Reply
      • Hi ,

        Even i didn’t get any confirmation email after requesting the EA. Instead got an error saying “ Error while loading a VisualForce page.

        But the link for EA request is gone. I am worried whether my form is submitted or not.

        Anyone faced the issue. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

        Reply
  39. Hi
    As no update from Delhi consulate since 2 months trying my second H4 EA request after all follow ups, while raising new EA for hyderabad I see next available date is 2/10/2021 is it like even if EA is approved, i need to wait till 2021 Feb? Thanks for help!

    Any inputs on this really appreciated.

    Reply
    • Hi, Maddy1504

      No, it’s not…
      You may see dates initially for general appointment. Ex: let us assume u may book an appointment on the date of 2/10/2021 irrespective of any Embassy. Then only u will be able to find Emergency Appointment that, so u will be receiving an email form an embassy states that your EA request got approved/ Denied if it is approved u will be provided a link (in same email) which takes u to book an emergency appointment for nearest available dates and u may asked to book within the week or 10 days to do so.

      If it incase EA requests denied then Routine Visa date would be remains.

      But EA appointment date would not be the same that u booked for Routine Visa Appointment.

      Hope it helps you
      Sara

      Reply
    • maddy1504,
      No, EA will be approved for only within 2 weeks of travel. The date you see is only for rescheduling and it will be expedited.
      There are many delays with EA requests. Check EA Tracker

      Reply
      • Awesome Thanks for your input! Will request EA again and keep you guys posted.

        Couldn’t decide between Hyderabad or Mumbai as I have not had good outcome with Delhi, suggestions would be great!

        Reply
        • Maddy1504,
          When you are in doubt, go with the data you have access to and make an informed decision. Frankly, it does not matter now as almost all of them have a lot of wait time.

          Reply
        • Dear Friends,

          Can anyone help me on this.
          VERY VERY URGENT

          Im in H4visa with my spouse who is in H1B visa. We both are in US now. But our daughter is in India for 1 year due to pandamic. Can i apply for my mom b2 visa in EA to bring my daughter back for reunion. We can also get a letter from our Dr stating the vaccination due for her. But my parents B2 visa got rejected 2 times in 2019 August.

          Will they consider b2 visa in EA ?

          Our reason is genuine. We really miss her and she too asking for us daily. Very depressed. Since we have travel ban and both have to get visa stamping before we come back to US this is the only way we have to bring her back.

          Any advice on this is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

          Regards,

          Reply
          • Harini,
            They may or may not consider. You can go and get EA to bring her back. If you are depressed, you should leave, go and fetch her…You would technically be exempt and can get stamping.

    • Hi ,

      Even I am trying to book second EA.But I am not sure how to invalidate the first visa fee to pay visa fee again to book second EA ? Please help.

      Reply
      • Try rescheduling the current appointment upto 5 times that will invalidate mrv fee and pay again to get new receipt. With that you raise another EA request.

        Reply
        • When you invalidate mrv fee and pay again to get new receipt, do you lose the previous appointment (regular, not EA)? I am asking because I have a regular appointment for March and trying to get an EA, but would be hard to get another one if I lose that, since there are no appointments available for any date.

          Reply
    • Hi Maddy,

      May i know how you cancelled your first EA with Delhi Consulate and how you applied your second EA with Hyderabad? Is it through Portal or through Support?

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Try rescheduling the current appointment upto 5 times that will invalidate mrv fee and pay again to get new receipt. With that you raise another request.

        Reply
  40. Hi , I have been trying to book an appointment in Mumbai consulate since 5th November. I am getting schedule only for OFC Appointment but There are currently no Consular appointments . Has anyone booked appointment in Mumbai consulate since 5th Nov? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Same issue here. I am applying for a B2 visa since a week. Scheduling the appointment page shows many dates with slots for November but when I choose a date, get the message “There are currently no appointments available. Please press the Back button and choose a new OFC appointment Date”. But when I actually press the back button and choose a new date, my profile gets frozen for 72 hours.

      Reply
      • Same issue on 5th December, 2020. I am trying to book an appointment for J1 visa (Research Scholar Category) for me and my J2 dependants.

        I am getting a schedule only for OFC appointments@ Mumbai, but there are currently no consular appointments @Mumbai.

        Please let me know how did you resolve this and get through it.

        Reply
    • @Prabhu: Same issue on 5th December, 2020. I am trying to book an appointment for J1 visa (Research Scholar Category) for me and my J2 dependants.

      I am getting a schedule only for OFC appointments@ Mumbai, but there are currently no consular appointments @Mumbai.

      Please let me know if you resolve this and get through it.

      Reply
      • Hi Pankesh,

        I am facing the same issue. Can see OFC dates. But on next screen there are no dates available. I have paid the visa fee and am trying to schedule visa appointment. It gives me a message saying : “you are approaching the maximum number of times you may view this page. Please complete the transaction at this time”. Has anyone faced this? Could someone please assist?

        Jazz

        Reply
        • Jazz,
          That means that there are no slots available now. If you check more than that time, then they will lock your account.You are not alone, there are hundreds, if not thousands who face the same issue.

          Reply
  41. Hi Guys – I have a really important question and really need any insight on this one.

    So I am stuck in India applied for EA in Delhi and no response for 1.5 months. Cancelled it and applied for EA in Mumbai and got rejected a day after.

    Since I am Canadian PR, I am thinking of traveling to Canada and get a EA there. Do you know anyone or any case in Canada getting EA approved? I have regular appointment scheduled there for 4th February. Reason is business need!

    Reply
    • Hi Arish,
      Sorry to know about the rejection.
      Did Mumbai consulate specifically say rejected in the letter or that the case is pending and they would reassess later? I have pending status and don’t know what to expect from it.

      Reply
      • Thank you Guys.

        @kumar – I am working with my company to get clarifications and may travel there this week and apply for EA after landing there.

        @Richa – I was told that we can not consider your request for emergency appointment at this time and will re access once local conditions allow us. I am guessing that’s a rejection.

        Reply
      • Hello
        I applied for H1B EA appointment in Mumbai and got this response.
        Does this mean its rejected or still in processing? Also what can I do to keep the communication going on with mumbai consulate?

        ” You have received the following message regarding your Emergency/Group scheduling request:

        Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our routine consular services across India remain suspended. Visa operations are very limited, and at this time, we are unable to accommodate your emergency appointment request. We will re-assess your request when local conditions allow us to safely expand our services. “”

        Reply

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