Question: I am applying for an F1 student visa and need to arrive at school or begin my optional training in the US before theappointment date I was given. Can I receive an emergency appointment to travel to the US in time for classes?

Answer:

Emergency appointments are generally granted for unforeseeable, essential, and immediate travel such as a potentially life-saving medical treatment or urgent travel for humanitarian purposes, or highlevel business and official meetings. A requirement to report to school or work by a certain date is not considered an emergency unless the visa applicant can show that unforeseeable, extenuating circumstances prevented him/her from booking a timely appointment.

Student & Exchange Visitors

The State Department prioritises students and exchange visitor interview appointments in order to ensure shorter wait times for their visa interviews. This is the current practice to assist those applicants entering the United States on F, M, or J visas to study, work, train or participate in exchanges. As an applicant, you are responsible for securing the proper documents for your appointment and scheduling your appointment as far enough in advance as possible so that you have enough time to obtain your visa before your travel date. Student visa applicants can apply for their visa up to 120 days before the start date of their programme.

Expedited appointments & processing

Applicants who are granted emergency appointments and qualify for visas will receive expedited processing. If granted, then the emergency appointment is only an expedited application, not a guaranteed visa approval. Applicants who hold emergency appointments and applicants who are granted expedited processing are still subject to the same review of qualifications as all other applicants. This, which includes bringing all relevant substantiating documents to the interview. All nonimmigrant visa applicants must establish that they meet the qualifications to enter the United States as a nonimmigrant temporary visitor.

Expedited processing usually means that the visa will be printed and available for the applicant to pick up in about 1-2 business days. Please keep in mind that the US Embassy does not print visas for same day pickup.

General Visa Processing & Print Time Guidelines:

Visa processing times vary based on a wide variety of factors, but current standard times are as follows:

Normal visa processing times: one to four business days.

Visa print times: one to two business days.

Visa delivery times: one day for Kingston deliveries; two days for Jamaican deliveries outside of Kingston; three to four days for Cayman deliveries. Normal visa processing times: one to four business days.

Expedited visa combined processing and print times: one to two business days.

Scheduling an emergency appointment:

Student visa applicants who need an emergency appointment based on urgent, unexpected travel due to a health emergency or urgent business meeting to promote commerce between Jamaica and the United States must schedule an appointment through the call centre or the self-service online system. You will then need to e-mail kingstonvisas@state.gov, and provide your name, date of birth, phone number, anticipated date of travel, SEVIS identification number from your Form I-20 (students only), and scheduled appointment date, confirmation number, and a brief explanation of the need for an emergency appointment and confirmation number. For more information on the scheduling process, please visit the embassy’s website at www.kingston.usembassy.gov.

The American Embassy staff in Kingston will answer any questions you may have regarding US consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect the privacy of applicants, the embassy will not answer questions on specific personal applications. Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver.com and we will send them to the embassy.