Available Interviews
Availability of visa interviews per nonimmigrant visa category
- Quito
All visa categories are available - Guayaquil
All visa categories are available
Please follow the instructions on https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ec/niv to schedule your appointment.
Please note
Effective October 01, 2025, the Department of State will update the categories of applicants that may be eligible for a waiver of the nonimmigrant visa interview. All nonimmigrant visa applicants, including applicants under the age of 14 and over the age of 79, will generally require an in-person interview with a consular officer.
Applicants who are scheduled for an interview appointment in the Consular Sections in Quito or Guayaquil must attend the interview in-person, no matter their age. Please ensure that children and seniors of all ages applying for visas attend the interview in person. This is a change from prior guidance.
For more information and specifics about the exceptions for this rule, please review the following link:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/interview-waiver-update-july-25-2025.html
General Information
Important Information about Non-Immigrant Visa Processing
The Consular Sections at the U.S. Embassy in Quito and the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil are currently processing all visa categories for Ecuadorian citizens and third-country nationals residing in Ecuador. Demand for U.S. visas remains high and the wait time for a routine B1/B2 (business/tourism) visa interview in Ecuador currently ranges from nine months to one year. Travelers with qualifying emergency situations may request an expedited appointment after making a regular appointment, and all applicants can monitor our calendar for newly opened capacity to change their existing appointment to an earlier date.
Requests for Expedited Non-Immigrant Visa Appointments
We will review requests for expedited visa interviews in the following situations:
- If you or your immediate family member have a serious medical condition requiring urgent travel to the United States for treatment, or;
- If you have a legitimate business need to travel to the United States, or;
- If you are applying for an F, M, J, C1/D, E, H, L, O, P, R, U, or T visa.
If you meet any of the above requirements, please follow the instructions on https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ec/niv to request an expedited appointment.
B1/B2 (Tourism/Business) Visa Renewals
Applicants applying for B1/B2 visa who meet certain criteria may be eligible to renew their visa without an interview with a consular officer. An applicant’s eligibility for interview waiver renewal will be determined during the electronic visa application process. In general, to be eligible for interview waiver processing:
- You must be renewing a B1/B2 visa issued in Ecuador that is either still current or expired within the past 12 months, and;
- You are an Ecuadorian citizen or permanent resident of Ecuador and are physically present in Ecuador, and;
- You were fingerprinted (10 prints) when your last B1/B2 visa was issued, and;
- Your previous B1/B2 visa was not lost, stolen, or revoked, and;
- Your most recent B1/B2 visa application was not refused, and;
- Other eligibility requirements may apply.
As laid out in Executive Order 14161, the Department determined that all nonimmigrant visa applicants must be interviewed in person by a consular officer except certain temporary visitors (in B visa classification) and certain other official foreign government travelers. This change will go into effect October 01, 2025.
All nonimmigrant visa applicants must be interviewed except:
- Applicants renewing a B-1, B-2, B1/B2 visa, or a Border Crossing Card/Foil (for Mexican nationals), within 12 months of the prior visa’s expiration.
- Applicants classifiable under the visa symbols A-1, A-2, C-3 (except attendants, servants, or personal employees of accredited officials), G-1, G2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-6, or TECRO E-1; and
- Applicants for diplomatic- or official-type visas.
An applicant’s eligibility for interview waiver process will be determined during the electronic visa application process on the Visa Information Services website. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions About Interview Waiver Processing webpage for more information.
How to Apply for a Visa
Please visit our Official Visa Information and Appointment System website for complete information on applying for a nonimmigrant U.S. visa, including a directory of nonimmigrant visa categories.
The Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate travel while ensuring the security of U.S. borders and the American people. Additional information on the visa process can be found at travel.state.gov.
Security at the Embassy
Please be aware that all visa applicants will go through Embassy security checks prior to entering the Consular Section..
The following items are not permitted in the Consular Section:
- Purses
- Briefcases
- Electronics
- Cell phones
- Food
- Drinks
Only minors under 18 years old, elderly and handicapped applicants can be accompanied.
Finger Scanning
- All visa applicants between 14 and 79 years old, except for diplomatic or official visas, will be fingerprinted before the interview. The electronic scanning procedure takes only a few seconds and does not use ink.
- If fingers are bandaged or are otherwise unprintable because of temporary conditions (e.g., cuts, blisters, wounds of any character, etc.) the visa applicant will not be interviewed that day and must reschedule the interview within a year from the date of the visa application fee payment, when the temporary conditions have healed.
- Travelers entering the U.S. will have their fingerprints matched to those collected at the time of the visa application to prevent the use of the visa by anyone other than the individual to whom it was issued.
- Visa applicants who decline to have their fingerprints scanned will not be able to complete the visa application.
The Interview
You should arrive to the consulate 15 minutes prior to your appointment. Every effort will be made to ensure a minimal wait time, however unforeseen circumstances and high volume of applications make wait times unpredictable.
The documents required for the interview (forms, supporting documents, etc.) vary according to the category of visa you are requesting. For detailed information please review categories of visas. It is important that all forms are filled out completely and truthfully.
NOTE: If you have an urgent need to travel to the United States due to an emergency, please review the criteria for expedited appointments below. If you feel that your circumstances fall within the listed situations, you may request an expedited appointment through the appointment system at https://usvisa-info.com/. You may be asked to provide supporting documentation.
The following situations may qualify for expedited appointments or as emergencies:
- Medical emergency; a written note from the attending physician indicating the specific nature of the emergency must be provided. The note must include the physician’s contact information.
- Death of an immediate family member; a written note or report from a competent authority in the U.S., indicating where and when the death occurred must be provided.
- Business emergency, defined as an event that could not be foreseen, and does not generally include conference travel; a letter on company letterhead explaining the urgent and last-minute nature of the travel must be provided.
- Students, where the required I-20 or DS-2019 was delayed; the approval date of the I-20 or DS-2019 must reflect this delay.
- Citizens of Visa Waiver Countries whose passport was lost or stolen while visiting Ecuador.
Lost or Stolen Passport With Nonimmigrant Visa
If your passport with a valid or expired U.S. visa is stolen or lost, please report the incident immediately to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that is closest to your residence, by emailing the following:
- Copy of the complaint filed with the prosecutor or police.
- Copy of the identity card of the person whose passport is being reported. If the passport with visa being reported belongs to a minor, also attach a copy of the valid identity card of the legal representative who reports it.
- A brief signed statement indicating the following:
- If the passport with visa was lost or stolen;
- Date that the passport was lost or stolen;
- Date of the report to the prosecutor’s office or the police;
- Whether the visa was valid or expired and the type of visa or visas that were in the passport that is being reported (B1/B2 tourism, F1 student, J1 exchange, C1/D crew member or other);
- Contact phone number and personal email;
- The declaration must be signed with the same signature registered on the identity card.
Only emails with complete information will be processed.
Attention: Non-Immigrant Visas
In Guayaquil: fpmguayaquil@state.gov
In Quito: consularquito@state.gov
If you want to obtain another tourist visa please visit the Visa Services page: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-EC/
On the day of your interview, you should bring a copy of the police report if you have not already reported it to the Embassy or Consulate, and an original Migratory Movement document. You can obtain the Migratory Movement from the Immigration Police.
Please note that once your passport is reported stolen or lost, the visa will be electronically cancelled, which means that it can no longer be used to travel to the United States.