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UAE Travel: Lack of Available US Visa Appointments Extended Until October 2024; Here’s Why!
(CTN NEWS) – Residents of the UAE who intend to visit the US may encounter major difficulties due to the lengthening wait times for visa appointments.
According to specialists in the tourism sector who spoke with Khaleej Times, the earliest appointments occur in October of the following year.
“The demand for applications for US visas among residents of the UAE has reached unprecedented levels, with the earliest available slots for appointments can be scheduled for October 2024,” said Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager for inbound and outbound operations at Regal Tours Worldwide.
He added that they receive more than 20 calls per day asking about the visit visas to the US.
In the next days, the wait period may lengthen, according to UAE visa experts. “As of now, September 2024 is the cutoff date for B1 and B2 US visit visas.
However, it might rise over the next few days, according to Dhas Anthony, general manager at Rejoice Travel & Tourism and an expert in international visas.
US Visa Appointments: Increasing Demand For Travel After COVID
Many variables, including “a very high number of visa applications post-Covid and a very high travel demand post-Covid which has led to increasing in appointment slot time,” have been cited by industry experts as contributing to this record-breaking wait time, according to Subair.
People today wish to travel. Residents are travelling more frequently and seeing other cultures and traditions as a result of the large post-Covid spike in travel demand, according to Anthony.
Experts also noted that long appointment wait times are a global problem, not only in the United Arab Emirates.
More Applications Post-Covid
Experts highlighted that there is a very high demand for travel to the US and that more people are applying now than they were before Covid.
“People are willing to spend twice as much to get appointments early; this is completely out of our control. We can assist and direct our clients while also applying for their visas, added Subair.
Applying for US visa
There are two types of US visit visas:
“One should apply for US Business visa if travelling for business purposes. This visa is also known as the B1 Visa. And a tourist visa for tourism and also known as the B2 Visa,” said Anthony.
The visit visa enables one to enter the US and remain there for up to six months and can be obtained by completing the DS-160 online form.
Anthony points out the procedure to apply for the visit visa:
- Check what type of visa you need
- Find out where you should submit your application in the UAE
- Complete the application form online
- Pay the visa fee
- Obtain appointment for a US visa interview
- Gather the documents required for the visa
- Attend the visa interview
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