Expedite Process for NIV

EXPEDITED APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR STUDENTS, APEC CARD HOLDERS, MEDICAL MATTERS & OTHER EMERGENCIES

Under certain emergency circumstances outlined below, applicants who cannot wait for a normal visa interview appointment or who have received an appointment day after their scheduled departure date may request an expedited appointment. There is NO FEE for making an expedited appointment request. Requests must be submitted by the individual applicant; requests from visa consultants or other third parties will not be approved. Applicants must first make a regular appointment with the Visa Information Call Center before requesting an expedited appointment. Applicants with previous refusals within the last six months are ineligible for expedites (except for students). Please see the complete criteria and procedures below.

Valid reasons for expedited interviews may include:

1)      Students and Exchange Visitors (visa classes F, J, and M only)—The initial start date of your academic studies or exchange in the USA as listed on your I-20 or DS-2019 is before the date of your scheduled visa interview.

2)      Other Emergency Humanitarian Requests—Emergency medical treatment, family emergencies (such as to attend to an immediate relative who is gravely ill or to attend an immediate relative’s funeral) and other emergencies such as appearance in a U.S. court of law, etc.

3)      APEC Card Holders

*Please note: Chinese Diplomatic, Service & Public Passports Holders—Early appointment requests from these applicants must go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China via their local foreign affairs office, and are only available for official travel.

*Procedures for requesting an expedited appointment vary by post. Applicants should request an expedited appointment only at the post for which they booked their original interview appointment. Please check each post’s website for specific expedite procedures.

Procedures for applying for an expedited appointment for U.S. Embassy Beijing:

To request an expedite of their appointment in Beijing, applicants must send an email with all of the information listed below. Requests with any missing or incorrect information will be discarded. We are unable to accept emails with attachments. All information must be in English.

Once your request has been received, you will receive an automatically generated email confirmation. If your request is approved, we will contact you by phone within five business days; if you do not hear from us within five days your request has not been approved. Please do not reapply.

To request an expedited appointment, send an email to BeijingExpediteRequest@state.gov with the information below following this format:

1)      Full Name
2)      Date of Birth
3)      Passport Number
4)      Visa Class
5)      SEVIS Number (for F, J and M visas)
6)      Date and Time of Original Interview
7)      School name and program start date as listed on your I-20
          (F, J and M visas)
8)      Visa Call Center Confirmation Number
9)      Contact Phone Number and email of applicant
10)   If any prior U.S. visas or visa refusals were issued
11)   Why arrangements were not made earlier

Please note that an expedited interview does not improve an applicant's chances of obtaining a U.S. visa. Emergencies are not grounds for the issuance of a U.S. visa; applicants applying for a non-immigrant visa must still prove they meet the requirements of the visa class.