How to Follow Up for a Visa Application to the US
Visas regulate the admittance of international travelers into the U.S. Visas are placed in the traveler's passport, and indicate that the State Department or a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad has declared your eligibility to enter the U.S. (Admittance is still subject to Department of Homeland Security approval prior to the traveler's entrance into the country.) As visas are processed by the United States State Department, all follow-up inquiries should be made with them; the State Department's Visa Services office or your country's U.S. Embassy can assist with follow-up inquiries.
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Instructions
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Contact the U.S. State Department's Visa Service Public Inquiries Division by phone at (202) 663-1225 or email at usvisa@state.gov, after you have already submitted your visa application. They do not accept fax inquiries. They also recommend that you review the information on the State Department's website before calling or emailing.
Calling the Public Inquiries Division will connect you with recorded information regarding visa services and the option to connect with a visa specialist during normal business hours. According to U.S. immigration law, information regarding specific visa applications cannot be given to third parties, so any follow up must be done by the visa applicant in person.
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Make an inquiry by email or phone to specific departments of Visa Services, depending on the type of visa for which you have applied, if the Public Inquiries Division is unable to assist you or fully answer your questions regarding your visa application. (The two main categories of visas are immigrant visas--for permanent residency travel to the United States--and non-immigrant visas, which are intended for temporary travel to the U.S. There are additional situational sub-categories of these two types.
Businesses and organizations in need of business (B-1) visitor visa information may email businessvisa@state.gov or call 202-663-3198 for more information.
Persons inquiring about F-1 or M-1 student visas, or J-1 exchange visitor visas may contact the Student/Exchange Visitor Visa Center by email at fmjvisas@state.gov.
Immigrant visa inquiries should be directed to 603-334-0700 or e-mailed to NVCINQUIRY@state.gov.
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Contact your local U.S. Embassy or consulate, if you need to obtain additional information to follow up on your application. They may be able to help you follow up on your visa application with information more specific to your country or situation. Information on contacting a U.S. Embassy can be found on the State Department's website.
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References
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- Photo Credit Pile of passport image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
