US Embassy cancels nonimmigrant visa interview schedules anew due to COVID-19 challenges
By Roy Mabasa
The United States Embassy in the Philippines on Tuesday announced the cancellation of nonimmigrant B1/B2 (Business/Tourist) visa interview appointments scheduled through September 30, 2021 in response to the continued significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an advisory, the US Embassy said the rescheduling of canceled visa interviews can be done once routine visa services resume by contacting the Embassy call center at (+632) 7792-8988 and (+632) 8548-8223, or through the online appointment system at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph.
The US Embassy explained that the resumption of routine visa services is on a country-by-country basis in coordination with the US State Department’s framework for safely returning its workforce to Department facilities.
Since March this year, US embassies and consulates have continued to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services and will continue to do so “as they are able.”
As country-specific conditions improve, US embassies and consulates have begun providing additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services
No fee shall be charged to change an appointment, and the validity of the visa fee payment (known as the MRV fee) is extended until September 30, 2022 to allow applicants who are unable to schedule a visa appointment because of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa interview appointment with the already paid fee.
Following this latest advisory, there is no need for those with canceled B1/B2 visa interview schedules to contact the US Embassy at this time. Instead, they are advised to continue monitoring the Embassy website at https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-updates/ for updates regarding the resumption of routine visa services.
Those with case-specific inquiries may contact the Embassy’s Consular Communications Group at https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/contactus/.