The Consular Section has learned that many visa vendors in Israel have charged applicants exorbitant fees to schedule emergency appointments. This is a fraudulent business practice the Embassy strongly condemns.
The Embassy does not charge a fee for emergency visa interview appointments. This is a free service provided to applicants who have a legitimate reason for emergency travel to the United States. All requests are considered on the individual merits of the case, in accordance with U.S. law.
Pleasure travel does not qualify as emergency travel. For more details about what qualifies as an emergency, visit the Embassy website at: http://israel.usembassy.gov/emergency-appointment2.html.
How to Request an Emergency Visa Appointment
To request an emergency appointment, applicants should first apply through the Visa- Point website at https://visainfo.us-visaservices.com/. If you have less than three business days left until your departure, you may submit the request to the Embassy via the email address NIVTelAviv@state.gov and put the word ‘emergency’ in the subject line of the email.
If you are granted an emergency appointment, the Consular Section reminds applicants that this is only an appointment for an interview—it is not a visa approval. Only a consular officer may decide if an applicant is qualified for a visa.
Once the consular officer approves a visa, it generally takes at least 24 hours to process the request. Applicants should never buy plane tickets in advance or expect that they will receive a visa the same day of an interview. Typically, passports are returned by mail within seven to ten days, depending on the location within Israel.
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