Tourist Visa

[Bugs 455]

Hello VJ members,

 

So my wife wants to bring her parents over to the US to visit, with a target date of the holidays.

 

I have three questions:

 

1.  Is the Manila embassy open for business or still closed due to the pandemic?  If it is the latter, is there yet an established target date for reopening?

 

2.  Balancing between any COVID-19 processing delays and our holiday 2021 target, when should we start the application process?

 

3.  For FYI purposes, in case pandemic restrictions derail any travel plans in 2021 and pushes our target date, how long is a tourist visa valid for once it is issued?

 

Thank you for answering my questions!

Edited March 16, 2021 by Bugs

[Boiler 45,535]

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines has canceled nonimmigrant B1/B2 (Business/Tourist) visa interview appointments scheduled through March 31, 2021 in response to the continued significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Department of State suspended routine visa services worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In July 2020, U.S. Embassies and Consulates began a phased resumption of routine visa services.

The resumption of routine visa services is on a post-by-post basis, in coordination with the Department’s framework for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities.  U.S. Embassies and Consulates have continued to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services since March and will continue to do so as they are able.  As post-specific conditions improve, our missions have begun providing additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services.

Once routine visa services resume, applicants should reschedule their visa interviews through the Embassy call center by phone at (+632) 7792-8988 and (+632) 8548-8223, or through the online appointment system at ustraveldocs.com/ph.  There is no fee to change an appointment, and the validity of the visa fee payment (known as the MRV fee) is extended until September 30, 2022 to allow applicants who are unable to schedule a visa appointment because of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa interview appointment with the already paid fee.

For the latest information on visa operations, please visit the U.S. Embassy website at https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-updates/.

[Bugs 455]

Thanks Boiler!

[Jordan & Jenet 48]

Also keep in mind they have continued to "extend" this no processing rule for over 8 months now.

 

Jordan

[Bugs 455]

28 minutes ago, Jordan & Jenet said:

Also keep in mind they have continued to "extend" this no processing rule for over 8 months now.

 

Jordan

I figured that was probably the case.  Good to know.

[Bugs 455]

Just stopping by to find out any update to tourist visa processing in Manila.  Have they opened up interviews for tourist visa applicants or is that still pretty much shut down as it has been during the pandemic?

[Adventine 3,196]

@Bugs they've started tourist visa interviews but I've been seeing the next available appointments are in late 2023-early 2024. 

[Bugs 455]

33 minutes ago, Adventine said:

@Bugs they've started tourist visa interviews but I've been seeing the next available appointments are in late 2023-early 2024. 

Thanks Adventine!  Wow, that’s long.  But at least things are not in the dark anymore.  Wouldn’t the MRV Fee expire before the appointment then?

Edited May 13, 2022 by Bugs

[Adventine 3,196]

@Bugs the embassy extended the visa application fee as follows. I expect they'll continue to extend the validity period until they clear out the backlog:

 

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-visafeeinfo.asp

Restrictions

Your visa application fee is non-refundable and you cannot transfer it to another person. As a result of the suspension of routine consular operations due to COVID-19 in early 2020 and the U.S. Department of State’s ongoing efforts to restore all routine visa operations as quickly and safely as possible, the Department has temporarily extended the validity of visa application fees until September 30, 2023. If you have not scheduled a visa appointment by that date, your fee will expire and you will forfeit the right to use the fee for a visa application.