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Please read these FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS carefully before contacting the U.S. Consulate.
The U.S. Consulate also recommends correspondence by e-mail at dubaivisaenquiry@state.gov. Please allow up to 3 business days for a written response.
We also accept visa-related enquiries by telephone (+971-(0)4-311-6000) on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 15:00 and 16:00, and on Mondays between 10:00 and 16:00. When inquiring about a visa case, please provide the applicant’s complete passport or case number to facilitate retrieval of the case.

The Consulate General does not accept fax correspondence.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need a visa to travel to the United States?
When should I apply for my visa?
Can I schedule an appointment for 8:30 even though I’m not Iranian? What if the day I want only has 8:30 appointments available?
Why are Iranians interviewed at 8:30 and non-Iranians at 7:30?
Can I get an early appointment date for an urgent business meeting?
How can I “renew” my visa to the U.S.?
I used my electronic visa application’s barcode to make a visa appointment and now I need to make some changes to the application. Can I do it by hand?
Can I use a valid U.S. visa that is in an expired passport?
What can I expect on the day of my interview?
How do I change my appointment time/date if I forgot to record my confirmation number?
Why isn’t my case number on the visa status website, but numbers similar to mine are already posted?
Can I make a visa appointment in Abu Dhabi if I live in Dubai?
I’m on vacation in Dubai. Can I make a visa appointment in Dubai if I am only visiting as a tourist?
I was refused for a visa. What can I do?
The visa officer refused me without even looking at my documents. Why?
I want to work in the US. How should I get started?
What documents should I bring to the interview?
How do I find information on my green card, immigration petition, adoption, or fiancée visa?
My spouse or children are in my passport. How should I apply for them?
Are there any special considerations given to friends, relatives, fiancées or spouses of American citizens?
How does a visa officer decide who gets a visa to the US?
Why is it taking so long for my case number to appear on the visa status website?
When my visa is ready, do I have to drop off my passport in person?
How long will my visa take to be issued?
Why is the visa status website not updated every day?
How long will I wait for my interview on the day of my appointment?
Should I bring my children to the visa interview?
What can I do if my I-94 Departing Registration Form was not received by the airline upon my departure from the U.S.?
When will my visa be ready and how will I receive it?
I am taking my domestic servant to America. Why do I have to complete the Domestic Servant Contract?
What happens when I fill in the DS-156 General Application Form and click “submit”?



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do I need a visa to travel to the United States?
Most people require a visa to enter the United States. However, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to use the program. For details, please go to: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#vwp

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When should I apply for my visa?
Applicants should apply for their visas at least 8 weeks in advance of their intended date of travel. If approved, most visas will be stamped into the passport and delivered to the applicant by Empost courier service throughout the two business days following the day of your interview. However, in many cases a visa may be subject to additional processing. Visa processing can vary greatly in length, from a few days to a few months. The officer cannot know how long the processing takes until the applicant is at the visa window. The applicant will be given an estimate of the visa processing time at the interview.

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Can I schedule an appointment for 8:30 even though I’m not Iranian? What if the day I want only has 8:30 appointments available?
No. Iranian passport holders must take an 8:30 appointment, and non-Iranians (UAE citizens and residents) must take 7:30 appointments. There are NO exceptions to this rule. Appointments at 8:30 are conducted in Farsi. Non-Iranians with appointments at 8:30 will not be admitted to the Consulate. Their appointments will be cancelled and they will have to reschedule their own appointments. If you are not Iranian and the day you want has only 8:30 appointments available, you must schedule your appointment on a different day.

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Why are Iranians interviewed at 8:30 and non-Iranians at 7:30?
Iranians often fly into Dubai in the early morning and often encounter flight delays. In an effort to help Iranians get to the Consulate on time for their interview, we assigned them the 8:30 time slot. All Iranian passport holders must make appointments at 8:30, and all non-Iranian passport holders must schedule appointments at 7:30. There are no exceptions to this rule. Appointments scheduled at 8:30 will be conducted in Farsi. Applicants with appointments at the wrong time will not be admitted to the Consulate on the day of their interview and they will have to reschedule their appointments for another day.

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Can I get an early appointment date for an urgent business meeting?
No. Business and tourism reasons, no matter how urgent, are not sufficient to warrant an emergency appointment. Emergency appointments are available ONLY to applicants with life or death medical issues and students in danger of missing the start of classes in the U.S. Applicants requesting emergency appointments will be asked submit documentary evidence of their stated medical or education emergency.

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How can I “renew” my visa to the U.S.?
The U.S. Consulate does not renew existing visas. Applicants must apply for the visa from the beginning, just as though they are applying for the first time. Instructions and application forms can be found at: http://dubai.usconsulate.gov/dubai/General_Application_Instructions.html

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I used my electronic visa application’s barcode to make a visa appointment and now I need to make some changes to the application. Can I do it by hand?
Yes. You can make minor changes to the application form by hand, making sure the changes are clearly visible to our data entry team.

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Can I use a valid U.S. visa that is in an expired passport?
If the biographic information on your valid visa, such as your name and date of birth, are EXACTLY the same as how they appear on your current passport, you can travel on the visa by carrying the old or expired passport with your current passport. If, for example, your name has changed or is spelled differently in your current passport, you must reapply for a new visa.

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What can I expect on the day of my interview?
You should queue outside at the white portable cabin next to the World Trade Centre parking lot at the appropriate time for your interview (Iranians at 8:30 and non-Iranians at 7:30). The Consulate guards and local police will guide you through a series of security checks. When you arrive in the visa waiting room, you will be directed to a counter where you can submit your application materials. If your application is incomplete, you will be sent away to complete your application and reappear at the Consulate before 9:00. If you are unable to complete your application by 9:00, you will not be readmitted to the Consulate and will have to reschedule your appointment for another day.

If your application is complete, you will be given a number and asked to sit in the visa waiting room until it is called. Unfortunately, because of applicants’ wide variety of language/translation needs, visa types and paperwork requirements, numbers cannot be called in perfect order. However, we do try our best to ensure that applicants are called for their interview in the approximate order in which they submitted their visa applications at the intake window. Applicants may be at the Consulate as late as 12:30 on the day of their interview, and perhaps longer during the busy summer season. Water is available in the waiting room, but food is not permitted.

We thank you for your patience.


How do I change my appointment time/date if I forgot to record my confirmation number?
You will need your confirmation number to change or cancel your appointment. If you do not have this number and wish to change or cancel your appointment, please call the U.S. Consulate at 04 311 6000 between 15:00-16:00 on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, or from 10:00-16:00 on Mondays. The U.S. Consulate can only cancel your appointment so that you can reschedule at your convenience. We will not reschedule your appointment for you.

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Why isn’t my case number on the visa status website, but numbers similar to mine are already posted?
The appearance of other numbers that are similar to yours on the website is irrelevant to the processing of your own case. Every applicant is assigned a unique case number for his or her individual case. This number is not related to the numbers assigned before or after it. The U.S. Consulate processes different kinds of visas in different ways, and that processing can vary widely in length.

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Can I make a visa appointment in Abu Dhabi if I live in Dubai?
Applicants should apply for their visas in their consular district. The consular district for the U.S. Consulate Dubai includes the emirates of Dubai, Ajman, Ras al Khaima, Fujeirah, Umm al Quwain and Sharjah. While we have no official policy preventing people from applying outside their consular district, the visa officer will have difficulty assessing the applicant’s family, social and economic ties. The likelihood of visa issuance is generally higher when applicants apply in their own consular district.

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I’m on vacation in Dubai. Can I make a visa appointment in Dubai if I am only visiting as a tourist?
There is no official policy banning tourists from applying for US visas. However, we strongly encourage you to apply where you keep your permanent residence. The visa officer must assess your family, social and economic ties to your place of residence, and this is very difficult to do from outside your own consular district. The likelihood of visa issuance is generally higher when applicants apply in their own consular district.

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I was refused for a visa. What can I do?
A visa refusal decision is final and cannot be changed. Applicants are free to apply again at their discretion, but are strongly encouraged to wait until they can show significant changes in their family, social and economic ties to their place of residence and/or changes in their travel history. In the reapplication process, applicants must provide new and convincing evidence of ties to the UAE, as well as any new evidence that they clearly intend to depart after a temporary period in the United States. Please be reminded that the fee charged is a "processing" fee, which is non-refundable whether or not a visa is issued. Because the officer at the second interview needs to see new and compelling evidence, reapplying immediately after a visa refusal rarely results in a visa issuance.

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The visa officer refused me without even looking at my documents. Why?
The visa officer can gather information sufficient for a visa decision from the extensive visa application forms and from the interview itself. If the officer wants to see additional documents, he or she will ask for them at the interview, but they are not always necessary to make a visa decision.

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I want to work in the US. How should I get started?
Once you have an offer of temporary employment, the American company will petition the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Once the petition is approved, the beneficiary will receive an approval notice, he or she can apply for a temporary work visa by making a normal appointment at http://dubai.usconsulate.gov

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What documents should I bring to the interview?
Instructions on what documents to bring, how to make an appointment, and application forms can be found at: http://dubai.usconsulate.gov/dubai/General_Application_Instructions.html

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How do I find information on my green card, immigration petition, adoption, or fiancée visa?
U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi handles all immigration enquiries. Please contact them at 02 414 2200 or visit their website at http://uae.usembassy.gov/

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My spouse or children are in my passport. How should I apply for them?
Every person appearing for an interview (UAE residents between 14 and 79 years of age, and Iranians of all ages) must make an online appointment regardless of how many passports they share. Each child or adult who is applying for a visa needs his or her own application forms, photographs, and fee payment receipt from the National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

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Are there any special considerations given to friends, relatives, fiancées or spouses of American citizens?
No. All visa applicants are subject to the same rules and processing.

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How does a visa officer decide who gets a visa to the US?
A visa officer assesses an applicant’s family, social and economic ties to their place of residence to determine whether to issue a visa. Most visa refusals are not permanent. You can apply again when you can demonstrate a change in your situation.

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Why is it taking so long for my case number to appear on the visa status website?
If your case number is not on the visa status website, it is still under processing. Some wait times for processing can exceed 60 days. Unfortunately, the U.S. Consulate does not control the speed of your visa processing. If your number has not appeared after 60 days, please call the Consulate at 04 311 6000 between 15:00-16:00 on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, or from 10:00-16:00 on Mondays.

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When my visa is ready, do I have to drop off my passport in person?
You do not have to appear yourself for visa drop off. You can send someone else to drop it off. The U.S. Consulate accepts passport dropoffs between 7:30-9:00 in the morning on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

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How long will my visa take to be issued?
Visa processing can vary greatly in length, from a few days to a few months. The officer cannot know how long the processing takes until the applicant is at the visa window. The applicant will be given an estimate of the visa processing time at the interview. We recommend that applicants apply at least 8 weeks before their intended date of travel.

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Why is the visa status website not updated every day?
The visa status website is updated when there are updates to add. The website is not updated when there are no changes.

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How long will I wait for my interview on the day of my appointment?
Security at the U.S. Consulate is very stringent. Applicants can expect to go through several security checks and a face a significant wait in the visa waiting room. Applicants may be at the Consulate as late as 1230 on the day of their interview, and perhaps longer during the busy summer season.

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Should I bring my children to the visa interview?
If you are an Iranian passport holder, you must bring children who are applying for a US visa. All other applicants are encouraged NOT to bring their children to the visa interview. The wait for the interview can be long and bathrooms are not easy to access.

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What can I do if my I-94 Departing Registration Form was not received by the airline upon my departure from the U.S.?
If you returned home with your Form I-94 or I-94W Departure Registration Form in your passport it means that your departure was not reported properly. It is your responsibility to correct this record. You must return your Form I-94 or I-94W to the Department of Homeland Security so your departure can be documented. Please include a statement of explanation in English and documents to support your statement. Your original tickets and boarding passes and/or stamps in your passport that indicate entry into another country may be helpful in establishing your departure. Please submit copies of all passport pages containing relevant stamps, as well as your passport’s biographical and photograph pages. Retain a copy of all original materials you send; the DHS cannot return them after processing. Please do not mail forms or documents to the Consulate. Send your statement and supporting documents to:
ACS-DHS SBU
P.O. Box 7125
London, KY 40742-7125
United States of America


For further information, please see these detailed instructions.

When will my visa be ready and how will I receive it?
Upon approval, most visas will be stamped into the passport and delivered to the applicant by Empost courier service throughout the two business days following the day of your interview. There is no pick up directly from the U.S Consulate. Please note that in many cases a visa may be subject to additional processing. Visa processing can vary greatly in length, from a few days to a few months. The officer cannot know how long the processing takes until the applicant is at the visa window. The applicant will be given an estimate of the visa processing time at the interview. For this reason, the U.S. Consulate strongly suggests that you apply at least 8 weeks in advance of your intended date of travel.

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I am taking my domestic servant to America. Why do I have to complete the Domestic Servant Contract?
U.S. visa law requires personal domestic servants (nannies, butlers, cooks, drivers, caretakers, etc.) be paid by U.S. salary standards while they are in the United States, which is generally higher than the salary offered in the UAE. For this reason, employers should carefully consider whether they can afford to bring their domestic servants to the US. The legal minimum wage varies from state to state. You should check the minimum wage law for the state you are visiting to calculate the correct salary that you must pay your domestic servant while he or she is in the U.S.

The Domestic Servant Contract, which is required for all domestic servant visa applications, is the employer’s pledge to the U.S. government that he or she will pay the domestic servant in accordance with U.S. labor law. Employers who fail to do this will not be allowed to take domestic servants to the U.S. in the future and risk having their own visas cancelled or refused.

Applicants with previous travel to the U.S. will be requested to provide proof of salary payment on previous trips, so be sure to record payments in detail using cancelled checks, bank statements or signed receipts. You may apply without these documents, but issuance of the domestic servant visa is at the discretion of the visa officer.

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What happens when I fill in the DS-156 General Application Form and click “submit”?
Clicking ‘submit” does not transmit your application to the U.S. Consulate. It simply generates a barcode, which is visible above the photograph square when you print out the application form. The barcode allows us to quickly data enter your application, which reduces the time that you have to wait for your visa interview. The U.S. Consulate does not receive or accept any paperwork in advance of your interview, so please bring your application form to the visa interview along with your supporting documents.

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source http://dubai.usconsulate.gov/dubai/FAQs_visa.html