How do you transfer your case to another U.S.
embassy or consulate to speed up your interview wait time?
If your visa interview is taking too long due to the local
backlog at your local embassy, it may be possible to transfer your case
to another location with more appointment availability.
But who is allowed to transfer and how do you go about doing it?
What if your case is not at the embassy
or the consulate, but is instead stuck at the National Visa Center?
We're going to answer these questions right now.
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So who can transfer their visa to another embassy?
Historically, only people who have lawful status or residence
in another country have been able to move their case to that country.
But a recent announcement from the Department of State has recognized
the long visa interview wait times and has urged anyone who is able to travel
to another embassy or consulate with a shorter wait time to do so.
And in a recent meeting between the American Immigration Lawyers
Association and the Department of State, they mentioned that nonimmigrant visa
applicants can apply at any location where they are physically present
and that immigrant visa applicants can transfer their case to another embassy
or consulate if they are unable to travel to the post where their case is assigned.
So it sounds like the State Department is encouraging any applicant
who is experiencing long visa interview wait times to consider
transferring their case if they think that they can get an earlier appointment.
I'll explain how to do so in just a moment.
Before you start the process, be sure to check the website
for the embassy or the consulate you are considering transferring your case
to and look for information about instructions for the transfer.
For example, U.S.
embassies and consulates in Japan have an actual transfer request form
that you need to fill out.
And the embassy in Ecuador has posted that they will not accept transfer requests
until they work their way through their own backlog first.
So whichever post you're thinking of transferring to, visit
their website first.
I'll include a link to all the embassies in the description below.
So how do you actually go
about transferring your visa interview to another embassy?
According to the Department of State, you must first submit a written
request the embassy or consulate that you want to transfer to.
Be sure to include a good reason about why you want to transfer,
such as “the embassy isn't responsive” or “they are backlogged.”
If you don't include a good reason for why you need to move your case,
your request will likely be denied.
You also need to mention whether or not
you are a resident of the country that you are transferring to.
If your case is still at the National Visa Center, you need to submit
your written request to the NVC instead in order to request a transfer.
According to the instructions on the Department of State website,
your request needs to include the embassy or consulate you want your visa interview
at, as well as proof of citizenship or legal residency if you have it.
Submit the request using the NVC’s
Public Inquiry form on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.
I will include a link to that here as well in the description below.
And if you are applying for a K visa, you need to direct your request
to the original embassy or consulate that you are applying at.
In each case, your transfer request is accepted when the NVC and embassies
will communicate with each other and arrange to have your case moved.
Note that moving your case to another embassy or consulate
is not often a quick process and can take months to complete.
And even after it is transferred, your case will not be prioritized
by the new post.
So you still run the risk of your case taking even longer than expected than
if you simply just waited at the consulate that you were already assigned to.
And according to the latest information from US
embassies abroad, they have announced the date
when they expect visa interview times to return to normal.
So you might not want to transfer without first finding out what this is.
I will include a link to my previous video explaining that here.
Click here to watch this video next and I'll see you there.