An official website of the United States government

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

Important Update: Immigrant Visa Interview Appointment
U.S. Visa Services
Visit the United States

NOTICE

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.

 

Schedule for Visa Interview Appointments

The U.S. Embassy releases new visa interview appointments periodically. Applicants with existing appointments may choose to reschedule for an earlier date if available. You can schedule or reschedule your visa appointment here.  Applicants who reschedule their appointment more than three times will need to pay a new visa application fee.

Demand for visa appointments is exceptionally high, so not everyone seeking a new appointment may secure one. Additionally, the Embassy may occasionally open interview appointments outside the regular schedule.

 

Where to Apply for a U.S. Visa?

Effective November 1, 2025, all immigrant visa applicants will be scheduled for their interview in the consular district designated for their country of residence or alternatively, may apply in their country of nationality if requested, with limited exceptions. 

Effective September 6, 2025, all nonimmigrant visa applicants should schedule their interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of residence or nationality.

Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate that processes visas in your country of nationality or residence.

Nationals of countries where the U.S. government is not conducting routine visa operations must apply at the designated embassy or consulate, unless their residence is elsewhere. Please see the list of Designated Nonimmigrant Visa Locations and Designated Immigrant Visa Locations for visa processing.

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.

What Type of Visa Do 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. 

APPLYING FOR A VISA

Appointments are booked and managed through the Visa Appointment Service website at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-sv/niv.
You can find information about submitting visa-related inquiries, including accommodation requests, at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-sv/niv/information/contact_us.
If you wish to request an expedited appointment, please follow the instructions outlined under Question 1 in the “Visa Appointment Questions” section found at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-sv/niv/information/faqs. When you have submitted your expedite request through your Visa Appointment Service account, it will be reviewed by a consular employee as quickly as possible.

 

The U.S. Embassy in San Salvador
The U.S. Embassy provides regular immigrant and non-immigrant visa services. The map below shows where we provide consular services.

San Salvador

Utah
Telluride
Colorado Sand Dunes

Contact Us

Contact Us Contact our Visa Information Center for information of visa processes. Dial +503-2230-4894 from El Salvador and +1 703-988-3615 from the USA. You can also call via Skype at live:.cid.74ffe607ca82215 or email ElSalvador.Visas@gdit-gss.com.

If your visa is lost or stolen

If your visa is lost or stolen, it is very important that you immediately report this loss to local police and obtain a police report to help protect yourself from identity theft. We ask that you then send an email to DenunciaSV@state.gov

Please include the following information:

  • Your full name and date of birth.
  • A photocopy of the lost visa, if available, or the date and place of issuance, if known.
  • A photocopy of the bio-data page of your lost passport, if available. If not, the nationality and number of your lost passport as well as the issuance and expiration dates, if available.
  • Written statement describing the circumstances of the loss.
  • A copy of the police report, if available.

There is no provision in U.S. visa regulations to reinstate a visa after it is reported lost or stolen. If you wish to travel to the United States after losing a visa, you must apply for a new visa. Please bring a copy of the police report for your lost or stolen visa/passport to your interview for a new visa