Status of Visa Services:
Non-Immigrant Visas: For information on renewing a visa, please see the “Renew a Visa” section on our Non-Immigrant Visa Page.
For first-time applicants, we remain committed to safely and efficiently re-introducing appointments for the full range of nonimmigrant visas, including for tourism and business travel. However, there will continue to be extended wait times for appointments for routine travel given the current demand and our reduced processing capacity due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Applicants are encouraged to plan far in advance. You can review appointment wait times using the wait time tool at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html.
If you need to schedule or request an expedited visitor visa appointment, please follow the instructions under Emergency Travel on our Non-Immigrant Visa Page.
Immigrant Visas: We are able to process all categories of immigrant visas; however, at this time, we are still operating at a reduced capacity due to COVID-19 safety precautions and are restricted by the number of applicants we can process in a single day, so wait times for appointments will continue to be significantly longer than pre-pandemic levels. Immigrant visa applicants who have not yet been scheduled for an interview will receive notification from the National Visa Center once their case gets to the head of the scheduling queue. If you missed your appointment and need to reschedule, you may do so through your registered account at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Travel to the United States: Foreign national air travelers to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States, with only limited exceptions. See our FAQs to learn more.
The purpose of your intended travel and other facts will determine what type of visa is required under U.S. immigration law. As a visa applicant, you will need to establish that you meet all requirements to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.
See our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to determine which visa category might be appropriate for your purpose of travel to the United States.
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, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States.
(Note: U.S. citizens don’t need a U.S. visa for travel, but when planning travel abroad may need a visa issued by the embassy of the country they wish to visit.).
Contact Us
Detailed contact information for our Visa Information and Appointment Center can be found at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-GY/iv/information/contact_us. Representatives can:
- Provide information on where to research visa information.
- Provide information about the visa application process.
- Provide information about how to pay the visa application fee.
- Schedule or reschedule your appointment as an alternative to doing this online.
- Provide status information about the return of your documents once you have been issued the tracking number. Please note that the status information available to the call center is the same information you can see when you sign in to your account.
Telephone Inquiries
Toll Free Numbers:
Calling from Guyana: 1-877-246-6788 (GTT Callers) or 1-800-759-6504 (Digicel Callers)
Calling from the U.S: 703-988-5765
Call Center Hours: Monday to Friday – 09:00 to 17:00 hrs.
E-mail Inquiries: Immigrant Visa Case-Specific Inquiries Only
- Georgetown (GEO) and Paramaribo (PRM) Cases: visageorge@state.gov
- Havana (HAV) Cases: havanaconsularinfo@state.gov
For general visa inquiries, please visit http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/frequently-asked-questions/about-visas-the-basics.html for answers to frequently asked questions.
If your case has not yet been transferred to Guyana, please direct your inquiries to the National Visa Center (NVC) via their online inquiry system.
NOTE: The Embassy’s switchboard operator is unable to respond to visa inquiries. Please use the numbers and e-mails provided above.
The Visa Information Center is closed on U.S. and Guyana National Holidays.
Customer Service Statement
The Department of State manages the visa process strictly but fairly in order to best protect the United States. We are committed to the essential openness for which the United States has always been known. Travel to the United States is welcomed and encouraged.
We promise to you, the visa applicant, that:
- We will treat you with dignity and respect, even if we are unable to grant you a visa.
- We will treat you as an individual and your case as unique.
- We will remember that, to you, a visa interview may be a new or intimidating experience and that you may be nervous.
- We will use the limited time available for the interview to get as full a picture as possible of your travel plans and intentions.
- We will use our available resources to fairly assist all applicants to get appointments to allow travel in time for business, study, and other important obligations.
- We will post detailed and accurate information on visa requirements and application procedures on every Embassy and Consulate website.
- We will provide information on non-immigrant appointment waiting times at every Embassy and Consulate posted on http://travel.state.gov.
- We will explain the reason for any visa denial to you.
Furthermore, if you are a:
- Student, we will make every effort to ensure that you get an appointment and, if qualified, a visa in time to start classes.
- Medical and humanitarian emergency traveler, we will expedite processing for those dealing with life threatening emergencies.
- Business traveler, we will establish appropriate mechanisms to facilitate business travel and expedite cases of particular concern to American business.
At the same time, we expect you, the visa applicant, to:
- Plan your travel and visa application as far in advance as possible.
- Complete your application fully and accurately.
- Be forthcoming about your purpose and plans.
- Prepare for your interview by being able to clearly and concisely describe your intentions.
