4 Ways to Prepare for the Post-COVID U.S. Visa Rush
2021 is here and with it comes a new U.S. administration and COVID-19 vaccine deployment. It is reasonable to predict that United States embassies and consulates around the world will begin to resume normal operations as populations are vaccinated and normalcy returns to the world. The exact timing of this will depend on local circumstances in different countries, but one thing that will be the same everywhere will be an increased demand for U.S. visas.
Here are 4 things you can do to prepare for the post-COVID visa rush to ensure you have your visa in hand when you need to travel.
Pay Your MRV Fee Early
Embassies and consulates around the world have developed long backlogs of visa appointments they have to honor. This will be done based on when the MRV fee (short for Machine Readable Visa fee — basically your visa application fee) is paid, with the earliest being honored first. Since there will be a rush of people who have been holding off submitting their application and paying their fee until routine services and travel are restored, there will be competition for interview slots once normal appointments resume.
If you already have a sense of your travel itinerary and timing, consider paying your MRV fee early to secure an earlier slot in line before the rush begins. Depending on your visa type and the status of your issuing embassy or consulate you may need to interview well before you normally would. However, with proper preparation this does not have to be a problem.
Monitor Official U.S. Government Sources
Do not rely on forums or other websites to tell you when consular sections are re-opening. Look to official sources the U.S. government makes available to keep track of operating status. This includes the Bureau of Consular Affair’s global website (travel.state.gov), individual embassy and consulate websites, and official social media accounts. If you’re not sure how to decode the language they are using, ask The Visa Officer for help.
Know Which Visas Will Be Prioritized
The U.S. government does not treat all visa categories equally, and will prioritize different types depending on the time of year and the application volume. For example, during the late spring and early summer F, J, and M visas are given the highest priority so that students and exchange visitors can arrive to their programs on time. Immigrant visa sections will prioritize Immediate Relative 1st and 2nd preferences above others when resources are limited.
If you know you will be applying for a non-priority category during a time of high volume and limited appointment times, you will need to plan ahead so you can avoid not having an appointment slot when you need one.
Consider Alternate Venues
During normal operating conditions, applying at an embassy or consulate that is not your home district is a very bad idea as refusal rates are much higher for third country nationals. However, some posts will take groups of applicants from other posts when resources are limited. If your embassy or consulate will allow you to interview somewhere else, consider taking advantage of that option. You may find an earlier appointment slot than you would at home.
Hopefully this post has answered some of your questions about how to be in a better position to receive a visa to the United States once normal operations open up from the COVID-19 slowdown. If you would like more detailed information about your specific case, request at https://askthevisaofficer.com/request-a-service.