B2 Visitor Visa and MRV Fee Expiration

[Bugs 455]

Hello,

 

So we are ready to begin the process  of applying for a B2 visa, starting with the MRV payment.

 

1. The MRV fee deposit slip specifies the “visa fee is valid for only one year.  Book your appointments as early as possible.”

 

…yet..

 

2. The US website states that the appointment wait time for visitors visas at the Manila embassy is 409 calendar days.

 

Does #1 mean that we have up to a year to get online or call and schedule the appointment date.  Or does it mean the actual appointment date also needs to be within a year from MRV payment?

 

In other words, if I pay the MRV on August 31, 2022 can I get online on August 30, 2023 and schedule an appointment for, say, October 2024 and be all good?

 

Or does the actual appointment need to be on a date before August 30, 2023 as well?  If so, doesn’t the 409 day wait make this impossible?

 

Second question:  How far out is the current scheduling calendar (i.e. are we actually able to schedule an interview 409 days from now?)?

[Palawan 131]

Last I read from the US Embassy is they are not doing routine tourist visa interviews, From reading this it appears they are only doing emergency B2 interveiws.  This is from June 22, 2022.

 

"Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV):  The Embassy prioritizes travelers with urgent (i.e., matter of life or death) travel needs and certain critical categories of travelers, such as students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1, and J-1) and temporary employees (H-1B, H-2B, and L nonimmigrants). We are processing renewals of business/tourism (B1/B2) visas for applicants eligible to have their interview waived, offering biometrics only appointments for applicants who received their last visa prior to age 14, and interviewing a limited number of B1/B2 applicants each day. While we continue to expand our visa processing, please note that we have a significant backlog of cases so wait times are much longer than pre-pandemic times."

 

Visa Update: Consular Operations (Visas) as of June 2022 - U.S. Embassy in the Philippines (usembassy.gov)

[Bugs 455]

2 hours ago, Palawan said:

Last I read from the US Embassy is they are not doing routine tourist visa interviews, From reading this it appears they are only doing emergency B2 interveiws.  This is from June 22, 2022.

 

"Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV):  The Embassy prioritizes travelers with urgent (i.e., matter of life or death) travel needs and certain critical categories of travelers, such as students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1, and J-1) and temporary employees (H-1B, H-2B, and L nonimmigrants). We are processing renewals of business/tourism (B1/B2) visas for applicants eligible to have their interview waived, offering biometrics only appointments for applicants who received their last visa prior to age 14, and interviewing a limited number of B1/B2 applicants each day. While we continue to expand our visa processing, please note that we have a significant backlog of cases so wait times are much longer than pre-pandemic times."

 

Visa Update: Consular Operations (Visas) as of June 2022 - U.S. Embassy in the Philippines (usembassy.gov)

Thank you Pawalan for your reply.  What you have in bold seems to indicate that they are interviewing and just explains the 409 day wait time.

 

Either way we just want to get in line.  So we will apply regardless of who they are currently interviewing.

 

My original questions remain unanswered.  If anyone knows the answers to them we will be much obliged.

[Bugs 455]

So we paid the MRV fees for parents and brother, filled out the D-160s and scheduled the interviews for the earliest available, which was May 21, 2024.

 

So that answers question #2 in the OP.

 

However the first question remains unanswered:  The MRV fee payment expires Sept 30 2023.  Does this mean that they will not accept the application/interview on May 21, 2024?

[Chancy 6,241]

6 minutes ago, Bugs said:

The MRV fee payment expires Sept 30 2023.  Does this mean that they will not accept the application/interview on May 21, 2024?

 

No one knows at this point, but the US embassy in Manila will likely extend the MRV fee validity again.  So far, USEM keeps extending the date while they continue to have a long wait time for B visa interview slots.  So check the USEM website in 2023.

 

[Bugs 455]

Thank you Chancy.  So would you say that the following statement is false then?:

 

As long as you schedule your appointment before the MRV expiration date, you are good, even if the actual appointment date that is scheduled falls after the MRV expiration date.

 

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

 

No one knows at this point, but the US embassy in Manila will likely extend the MRV fee validity again.  So far, USEM keeps extending the date while they continue to have a long wait time for B visa interview slots.  So check the USEM website in 2023.

 

 

[Chancy 6,241]

18 minutes ago, Bugs said:

As long as you schedule your appointment before the MRV expiration date, you are good, even if the actual appointment date that is scheduled falls after the MRV expiration date.

 

You only need the fee to schedule the interview.  So once the interview is booked, you're good.  But note that USEM may cancel the interview, as they have done for many months in the past 2 years.  If the fee is still valid, then you just need to book a new schedule.  If the fee has expired by then, then too bad, you'll have to pay again even if the cancellation was not your fault.  But it is highly unlikely that USEM will do a blanket cancellation without also extending the MRV fee validity.

 

[Bugs 455]

2 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

You only need the fee to schedule the interview.  So once the interview is booked, you're good.  But note that USEM may cancel the interview, as they have done for many months in the past 2 years.  If the fee is still valid, then you just need to book a new schedule.  If the fee has expired by then, then too bad, you'll have to pay again even if the cancellation was not your fault.  But it is highly unlikely that USEM will do a blanket cancellation without also extending the MRV fee validity.

 

Awesome.  Thank you for the advice!

[Palawan 131]

22 hours ago, Bugs said:

So we paid the MRV fees for parents and brother, filled out the D-160s and scheduled the interviews for the earliest available, which was May 21, 2024.

 

So that answers question #2 in the OP.

 

However the first question remains unanswered:  The MRV fee payment expires Sept 30 2023.  Does this mean that they will not accept the application/interview on May 21, 2024?

Duterte really did a number on the Philippines by shutting down the entire country for 2 years, I can't believe they are taking so long for routine Tourist Visa interview.

[biaobiao 40]

Good Day! I applied for my mom december and tried to expedite b2 visa. Earliest

appointment i was able to sched her was july 2023. 
i was advised to check the scheduling website by a friend. Thank God, Sept 2022 opened up. 
I would strongly suggest book the earliest date available and check from time to time. 

[Bugs 455]

On 9/12/2022 at 7:55 PM, biaobiao said:

Good Day! I applied for my mom december and tried to expedite b2 visa. Earliest

appointment i was able to sched her was july 2023. 
i was advised to check the scheduling website by a friend. Thank God, Sept 2022 opened up. 
I would strongly suggest book the earliest date available and check from time to time. 

Thank you, and will do!  Currently there is nothing available for rescheduling, but I’ll keep checking.  Did your mom get approved?

[biaobiao 40]

Just now, Bugs said:

Thank you, and will do!  Currently there is nothing available for rescheduling, but I’ll keep checking.  Did your mom get approved?

Yes.. thank God. multiple entry. Got the visa in less than 2 weeks

[Bugs 455]

3 minutes ago, biaobiao said:

Yes.. thank God. multiple entry. Got the visa in less than 2 weeks

That’s awesome!

[Bugs 455]

Well, the embassy just opened a plethora of interview spots throughout the last week of Oct, all of Nov, and all of Dec. of THIS YEAR!

 

So we were able to reschedule for an interview a month from now.