US Visa Appointments Paused Worldwide: What UAE Applicants Need To Know

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The US has paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide as consular officers undergo new training. This has raised questions among applicants in the UAE about what happens to interviews that have already been scheduled and how long the disruption could last.

For UAE residents, the development comes at a time when demand for US visas is already high. Travel and visa experts told Khaleej Times that when they checked the system, B1/B2 business and tourist visa appointments were showing availability only in August 2027.

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So, can people still apply? What happens if an appointment is affected? And could the disruption make it harder to find a slot later? Here is what UAE applicants need to know.

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The US State Department has temporarily paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide while consular officers undergo training.

The training relates to how officers assess whether an immigrant visa applicant could become dependent on public benefits after moving to the US.

Can UAE residents still apply for a US visa?

Yes, applications can still be submitted, according to UAE visa experts.

Dash Anthony, a visa expert at Rejoice Travels, said people can continue to apply for US visas. The bigger challenge is getting an interview appointment.

“People can apply for the visa, but they cannot request an appointment date for now,” he said, referring to what he was seeing on the appointment system.

Anthony said US visas are highly sought after in the UAE and across the Gulf, with agencies receiving applications every day. Agencies such as his can handle around six to seven US visa applications on a typical day, he said.

When is the next US appointment available?

When Khaleej Times spoke to travel experts, they checked appointment availability. Subair Thekepurathvalappil from Wise Fox Tours and Travels said the dates they could see were only available in August 2027.

The dates seen by the agents are live appointment-system availability and can change if new slots are released or existing appointments become available.

This means applicants should not assume that everyone applying now will necessarily have to wait until August 2027.

What happens if my appointment is postponed?

According to the agents, applicants should monitor messages and emails from the US embassy or consulate handling their application.

Anthony said that UAE applicants faced appointment disruption earlier this year as well. "At that time, those whose appointments were affected were contacted directly by the consulate and their interviews were rescheduled."

However, he also said that this does not necessarily mean the same process will be followed during the latest pause, but applicants should watch for official communication before taking any action themselves.

Will the pause create a rush for appointments later?

Travel agents believe that could happen. Subair said that applications could continue coming in even while appointment availability is limited. This could mean more people waiting for interview dates.

"When more appointments become available, we expect many applicants to try to secure slots at the same time," he said, adding that the impact could be particularly important in the UAE because of the strong demand for travel to the US.

Who could be most affected by long appointment waits?

Business travellers could face difficulties if they need to travel to the US for meetings, exhibitions or other events on fixed dates.

Subair said business travel between the UAE and US is significant, and waiting several months for an appointment may not work for someone who needs to travel for a specific event.

Tourists may react differently. "If they cannot secure a visa appointment before their planned holiday, some could simply change their plans and travel to another country," said Subair.

What about students?

Student visas are also different from tourist and business visas and from the immigrant visas. Agents said that if this catogory is also on pause, long appointment waits can be difficult for students because university and college programmes begin on fixed dates.

Subair said students who cannot secure an appointment before their course begins could face difficulties, although urgent or earlier appointments may be possible in certain cases.

"Applicants should therefore check the rules and appointment availability for their specific visa category rather than relying on the wait time shown for another type of visa," said Subair.

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