Press Release: Important Changes to Visa Application Procedures

On December 12, 2011, the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv will implement new visa application and appointment procedures. The new system will make it quicker and cheaper to apply for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa!

Applicants will no longer need to pay one fee to obtain information and schedule an appointment, another fee to apply for the visa, and a third fee for courier pass back service.

By paying only the current machine-readable visa (MRV) application fee determined by visa classification, the following services will be provided to visa applicants:

• MRV fee collection, either by phone, online, or at any branch of the Israeli Postal Bank. Applicant can pay using cash or credit card.
• Scheduling of visa appointments by telephone or through a new online appointment website http://telaviv.usvisa-info.com. There is no need to purchase a pin number.
• Information on general visa inquiries either by phone or online.
• Courier services to the Embassy for applicants who need to submit additional documents after their interviews.
• Choice of passport delivery options for approved visa applicants, including home delivery, at no additional cost to the visa applicant.

In connection with these changes, please be informed of the following:

• The current MRV application fees remain the same, but they will include these new scheduling, application, and courier services.
• Unused VisaPoint personal identification numbers (PINs) are valid until December 11, 2011, only. If applicants do not book an appointment before this date, the PIN will expire and an interview must be scheduled under the new system.
• MRV fee payments can still be made through the Israeli Postal Bank through December 11, 2011. Applicants who pay before that date but who have not yet booked an appointment must schedule an interview through the new call center.
• MRV fee payments are nontransferable and nonnegotiable and will be linked to the applicant's name and passport number under the new system. As before, MRV fee payments are valid for a single application for one year from the date of payment.
• Applicants with interviews already scheduled will not be affected by this transition, and they should attend their scheduled interviews at the Embassy. They should attend their scheduled interviews at the Embassy and follow existing procedures for postal return of their passports.

For additional information on the new visa application process, please visit the U.S. Embassy website at http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/niv/nonimmigrant.html or the new online appointment website at http://telaviv.usvisa-info.com.

Please note that the new system does not apply to American Citizen Services.