When applying for US Visa Stamping at a US Consulate or US Embassy, you must use the US Visa Appointment Online booking system. Depending on the country, you may use portal.ustraveldocs.com, USVisaScheduling.com, ais.usvisa-info.com, secure.cgifederal.force.com, or other similar websites that are part of the US Department of State.
Sometimes, some users, when trying to access the US Visa appointment booking website, may get the error “Sorry, you have been blocked, You are unable to access ustraveldocs.com.” You cannot even access the website and are fully stuck. In this article, we outline the reasons for the error and how you can get it fixed, and also common solutions that worked for other users in the community.
Sorry, you have been blocked, You are unable to access ustraveldocs.com – Error
In the below sections, we will discuss the common reasons for getting the error: “Sorry, you have been blocked, You are unable to access ustraveldocs.com“. Details about why it occurs, the common solutions suggested by previous users who got the same error, and how you can avoid it.
What is the “Sorry, you have been blocked” error? When do you get it?
When you try to access URLs such as portal.ustraveldocs.com or https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/, sometimes, you may get the error that says like below:
“Sorry, you have been blocked
You are unable to access ustraveldocs.com”
Below is the screenshot of the actual error appearing on portal.ustraveldocs.com or the CGI Federal website.
What is the reason for the Error “Sorry, you have been blocked…”?
If you read closely on the page that throws this error, there are details on why you have been blocked and how to resolve it. It may sound cryptic if you are not a technical person. At the bottom of the page, you will see a footnote message that says “Performance & Security by Cloudflare.” The message’s key takeaway is that Cloudflare security systems are throwing this error.
If you are not aware, Cloudflare is a large company that is in the website security space and provides many solutions around website firewalls, preventing attacks on your website, etc. In this context, Cloudflare is the vendor that is providing the security system for the USTravelDocs website.
Based on the website security rules provided by CGI Federal/ USTravelDocs, the Cloudflare system is giving you the error “Sorry, you have been blocked, You are unable to access ustraveldocs.com“.
Below are some of the common reasons why you may get this error:
You are on a VPN ( Virtual Private Network)
You may get this error if your computer or browser is on a VPN(Virtual Private Network). In general, you may be connecting to the internet using a VPN when you are working at a company that is using a VPN for extra security on their side. Or you may be using a VPN by yourself for extra privacy.
Due to the security rules in place by Cloudflare, they do not allow any VPN access. This is to prevent issues from bots, and spammy sites trying to access the website ustraveldocs.com from unknown locations.
The URL portal.USTravelDocs.com is not valid for booking an appointment in a country
The second most common reason for getting this error is that the website URL https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/ is not valid to book a US Visa Appointment in a particular country. For instance, this URL is not valid for India as the appointment booking system has migrated from https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/ to https://www.usvisascheduling.com/en-US/
When this happens, you may get this error, or if it allows you to login, it may keep logging you out every time you login. You may not directly see this error, but you may be stuck in a loop that indicates it is not working.
Browser Cache or Browser Extensions Issues
Another common reason for seeing this error is because there could be a browser cache issue or any Browser Extensions issues. Sometimes the extensions that you are using could also be causing this issue. It may be hard to troubleshoot when you have too many extensions and what they may be doing in the background.
Now that we understand the common reasons, let’s look at the solutions on how to fix the errors.
How to fix the “Sorry you have been blocked …” Error?
Below are some of the solutions to get out of the error that worked for users:
Option 1: Get out of VPN, Corporate Network
If you are browsing the internet on a VPN, you must get out of the VPN and then try to log in. You should disconnect from the VPN or disable the browser VPN extension and try to login. This should fix the error, and you should be able to log in.
If you are on a company’s corporate network, you should exit out of that company VPN network and try to go to the URL https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/ from your personal home network or your mobile carrier network, this could also solve the issue.
This option only works in cases, where you were blocked for general cyber security rules placed by Cloudflare. If this does not work, try the below options.
Option 2: Check if US Appointment Booking Website has changed
Depending on the country, you must check if the US Visa appointment booking website has changed. For instance, the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs changed the appointment booking system for India on July 29th, 2023, from the ustraveldocs.com portal to a new website, usvisascheduling.com.
If you want to apply for a US Visa appointment in India or already have an account in the old system, you must now use the new website at usvisascheduling.com going forward. You cannot use the old USTravelDocs portal anymore. Try using the new URL that is relevant for the country to book the appointment. For more details, you can read Guide to Create an Account at USVisaScheduling.com to book US Visa Appointment.
To find out the correct US Visa Appointment Booking website, you can follow the below instructions.
Step 1: Go to https://www.ustraveldocs.com/
Step 2: Select the first letter of the country, where you want to book US visa appointment. For instance, you would select ‘I’, if you want to book a US Visa appointment at a US Consulate in India. See the below screenshot for how it looks and where to click to choose the location.
Step 3: Click on the Country name, then go to the website that it redirects to and click on Login button on the actual USTravelDocs website. This may look different for different countries, but the idea is the country’s relevant website would have the correct US Visa Appointment URL.
Below is a screenshot of the steps to find the correct website for India. You can see from the below screenshot that first you click on India, then you click on the visa category either Nonimmigrant or immigrant visa and then finally on the website, you would click on the Login link. For India, this points to https://www.usvisascheduling.com/en-US/
Below is a screenshot of how to find the correct website for the Philippines. For Appointment booking in the Philippines, it points to https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/ . As you can see, it is different for different countries.
Option 3: Clear Cache and Cookies, Try Incongito mode
If both of the above do not work, the next option is to try clearing out cache and cookies. Sometimes, this can be an issue that could be blocking you as well. If you are using a work PC, then it may have some restrictions on the browser as well. So, it also can be an issue. Hence, try with your personal computer.
Also, if the issues are extensions, one other thing you can do is to open the browser in incognito mode and then try to access the correct URL, this also may work. Ensure that the incognito mode does not have any plugins loaded.
Option 4: Email / Call Customer Support
The final option is you should call USTravelDocs customer service or email them and ask about the issue. This email and phone number for support vary by country. For this you need to find the correct details by using the method outlined in Option 2, where we show how to find the right website.
For India, the support email is support-india@usvisascheduling.com. You can check Contact Info, Phone Number of US Consulates, USTravelDocs India for more info
What was your experience trying to solve the error? Share your experience in the comments below.
You can also check out details of other common errors like
Good morning Ma’am and Sir, can you give us a slot for the us Visa interview?
We already paid for the mrv slip but as of now we still doesn’t have a slot, our medical examination result is going to expire soon, and we really need a slot right now. Please.
I am getting PSE0501 error. Currently unable to load calendar on webpage. Please suggest.
Hi Ram,
Were you able to solve the issue? I am seeing the same error and don’t seem to find a solution online.
The blocking message is deliberate on the part of the security company to prevent people from accessing the appointment scheduler. There is simply too many people trying to schedule appointments.
Hi
I was blocked while trying to update my profile. I have already created my account and while updating with my details, i clicked the back button and i was blocked from the site. They added a note at the bottom saying i triggered a security measure. Please what do i do?
Thank you
Hello…pleasse i need help, i have been blocked on CGi portal and it said i have to emaip their website but don’t know how to email? what i need to do? thanks
modupe678@gmail.com
Pls I can’t register to the portal.ustraveldocs.com, it’s come up that ‘sorry you have been block.’
How can I fix this?so I can check my update .
Despite of providing valid information, I am not able to log into the portal. why? last time i was blocked while changing password too
Please how can resolve this issue my US portal its been blocked
Vicencia,
Did you try all the options listed above? Did they not resolve this? What country do you want to book appointment for?
I have received this error since the first time I tried enter the login page.
Can I access the login page if I am in the USA?
Jose,
You should be able to access it. Try all the options listed and see, if that solves the issue.
I have a h4 user account at the new site , I had booked an appointment just for h4 but now I cannot access the portal .
Stating after login : We are Sorry , you cannot access the Visa portal because you are a dependent . Please reach out to your Primary Applicant.
But my spouse don’t have an account yet in the new portal till last month I was able to access my account. Did something changed , what happen to my scheduled appointment?
Vis,
Not sure, what changed. It is best to reach out to customer service, does not seem standard issue.
Hello Vis, can you please provide an update on this issue? I am having the same error all of a sudden and not sure how to proceed.
Please help
I have been blocked from accessing the portal, and I have tried all the steps on how to resolve the issue but to no avail. Please what do I do?
Ore,
You last bet is to call the customer service. Please do share your feedback on how it goes here for community benefit.
How can I come out from this error , sorry block
Bhavna,
Read the solutions and try them, you should be able to get out. Try on a new computer or check if you are on VPN.
Please how do I rectify mine really don’t understand mine is saying I have been blocked and I need to email them am in nigeria
Hi goodness have this been resolved?