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Worldwide Caution: The Department of State advises Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution.

Important notice: Making appointments for U.S. Citizen ServicesImportant Notice: Suspension of Routine Visa Services
U.S. Visa Services
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Notice

While the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai are open, routine visa processing is not available in the United Arab Emirates at this time. Further updates regarding visa processing will be posted here when available.

Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State paused all immigrant visa issuances to nationals of countries, including Iran, whose immigrants have a high rate of collecting public assistance at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer. Immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of impacted countries may submit visa applications and attend interviews, and the Department of State will continue to schedule consular appointments for visa interviews. Read more about the immigrant visa processing updates for nationalities at high risk of public benefits reliance.

Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality.  Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.  For more information, visit travel.state.gov.

All individuals applying for an A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), G-5, H1-B, H-3, H-4 dependent of H-1B and H-3, F, M, J, K-1, K-2, K-3, Q, R-1, R-2, S, T, or U nonimmigrant visa are instructed to adjust the privacy setting on all social media accounts to “public” or “open” to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law. More information is available at travel.state.gov.

Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 10998 on Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026, the United States is suspending or limiting entry and visa issuance to nationals of 39 countries as well as individuals applying using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.  Applicants who are subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998 may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States.  For additional details, visit travel.state.gov.

Effective immediately, the Department of State has paused all visa issuances to diversity immigrant visa applicants.  For additional details, visit travel.state.gov here.

What is a Visa?

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport.

Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Visa section of this website is about U.S. visas for foreign citizens and nationals to travel to the United States.

Visit Travel.State.gov for additional information.

Note: U.S. citizens do not need a U.S. visa for travel to the United States. When planning travel abroad a U.S. citizen may need a visa issued by the embassy or consulate of the country they wish to visit.

Do You Already Know What Type of Visa You Need?

For short-term visits to the United States (for tourism, business, education, and more), you can go directly to the online application (form DS-160). For immigrant visas, which are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live and work permanently in the United States, you can visit the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services site for the relevant forms.  If you are unsure what type of visa you need, please use the Visa Wizard below.

To contact a customer service representative, please visit the GSS Contact Us page (English), GSS Contact Us page (Arabic), or GSS Contact Us page (Farsi) for full information or use the contact information below:

To reach a customer service representative:

Callers in UAE, dial +971 4 205 5981

Callers in the United States, dial +1 313 262 5702

To email your inquiry: support-uae@usvisascheduling.com

Note:  English, Arabic, and Farsi speaking customer service agents are available Monday – Friday, 9:00 to 17:00 local UAE time. The customer service center is closed on UAE national holidays, as observed by the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai.

Need assistance with a nonimmigrant or immigrant visa at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate in Dubai?

Our Visas Navigator will guide you to information that you need, and help you ask us for assistance as well.

Appointment Scheduling Information

The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai release appointments for nonimmigrant visa interviews every Friday morning between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., with the exception of U.S. and UAE holidays. We may also occasionally release additional interview appointments outside of this regular schedule as needed.

Visa applicants with existing appointments can log into their accounts to schedule an earlier appointment, if one is available, at any time. More information about rescheduling an existing appointment or requesting an expedited appointment is available here.

Our Locations
The map below shows where we provide consular services.

U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi

U.S. Consulate General Dubai

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