Select here to learn more about certain individual petition-based visa applicants who are now eligible for waiver of interview.

On October 25, President Biden announced a Presidential Proclamation titled “A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This proclamation, which took effect at 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time on November 8, 2021, ended the travel restrictions under Presidential Proclamations (P.P.) 9984, 9992, 10143, and 10199 as they relate to the suspension of entry into the United States of persons physically present in Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

In place of these restrictions, the President announced a global vaccination requirement for all adult foreign national travelers. More information about this global vaccination requirement, including details on exceptions and waivers due to humanitarian concerns, is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website


Additionally, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, or believe you may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, you are strongly encouraged to postpone your appointment by at least 14 days.

Effective January 5, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the CDC requires a negative COVID-19 test result taken within two days of departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days for all travelers, age two years and older, to the United States on flights originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including the Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of Hong Kong and Macau. This requirement also applies to passengers who have been in China, Hong Kong, or Macau in the past 10 days and are traveling to the United States from one of the following airports: Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea; Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada; and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in Canada. CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect. below Visit the CDC website for additional information.

Effective Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the CDC rescinded its Order requiring all airline or other aircraft passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 to board any aircraft destined to the United States from a foreign country. Of note, CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect. For more information see Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers.

All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee. Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period. Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period. There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period. All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date.

As a result of the worldwide reciprocity review, there have been substantial changes to the reciprocity fees and visa validity periods for nationals of many countries, including Switzerland (E1, E2, certain F1 and F2, H1-B, H4, I, L1, L2, R1, and R2) and Liechtenstein (F1, R1, and R2). For more information about reciprocity fees and validity periods, please visit the Department of State’s website. These fees must be paid at the time of the visa approval by credit card, U.S. dollars, or Swiss francs at the Embassy.