Announcements

Update: Validity of the Nonimmigrant Visa Fee (MRV Fee)

11 October, 2023

All receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees issued before October 1, 2022, expired September 30, 2023. There will be no extensions of fee validity. Applicants must have scheduled an appointment or submitted an interview waiver application before September 30, 2023 to avoid paying a new fee. If you paid the MRV fee on or after October 1, 2022, you must have scheduled the appointment within one year of your MRV payment date. Please note that the interview itself does not need to take place within one year, but an interview appointment needs to be made in the system, even if it is scheduled months into the future. Furthermore, applicants using MRV fees paid before October 1, 2022 to book an appointment are cautioned not to attempt to change their appointment dates on or after October 1, 2023. Doing so will result in forfeiture of both the original appointment slot and the MRV fee receipt. The applicant will be required to pay a new fee and submit a new application package.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Travel to the United States

5 September, 2023

Nonimmigrant visa holder travel: Passengers no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. For more information, visit https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/before-travel.

Immigrant visa applicants: U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of an immigrant visa. For more information visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/vaccinations.html.

Validity of the Nonimmigrant Visa Fee (MRV Fee)

5 September, 2023

All receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees issued before October 1, 2022, will expire September 30, 2023. There will be no extensions of fee validity. Applicants must schedule an appointment or submit an interview waiver application before September 30, 2023 to avoid paying a new fee. If you paid the MRV fee after October 1, 2022, you must schedule the appointment within one year. Please note that the interview itself does not need to take place within one year, but an interview appointment needs to be made in the system, even if it is scheduled months into the future. Furthermore, applicants using MRV fees paid before October 1, 2022 to book an appointment are cautioned not to attempt to change their appointment dates on or after October 1, 2023. Doing so will result in forfeiture of both the original appointment slot and the MRV fee receipt. The applicant will be required to pay a new fee and submit a new application package.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF YOUR VISA FEE

10 July, 2023

Visa application fees are valid to use for 365 days from date of purchase. After the 365 days, if the applicant has not scheduled their interview appointment or submitted their application to apply for a U.S. Non-Immigrant visa (including K fiancé visas), the fee will expire and the applicant will forfeit the right to use the fee for a visa application. However, as a result of the suspension of routine consular operations due to COVID-19 in early 2020 and the U.S. Department of State’s efforts to restore all routine visa operations as quickly and safely as possible, the Department extended the validity of visa application fees until September 30, 2023 for all fees that expired between February 20, 2020 and September 30, 2022.

Please check the validity of your visa fee and read the below important information:

  • To check the expiry date of your visa fee, log into your account on this website (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/), click the Continue button, and select Payment Receipt option. The visa fee expiry date for each visa applicant is listed on the Payment Receipt.
  • If you do not use the fee before the fee expiration date, you will be required to pay a new fee if you want to apply for a visa. You can use the visa fee until 23:59 EST time on the expiration date.
  • If you have already used your visa fee to schedule an appointment in the future (after the visa fee expiration date), you will not be able to cancel or reschedule your appointment after the fee expiration date, unless you pay a new visa fee. Your current appointment is still valid even if it is scheduled after the visa fee expiration date. Please plan to attend your scheduled visa interview appointment.
  • You will NOT be able to cancel or reschedule your appointment after the visa fee expiration date. If you try to cancel or reschedule your appointment, the scheduling system will display a warning message indicating that your visa payment of the original appointment has expired and if you wish to continue with your appointment cancelation or reschedule, the system will require you to pay a new visa fee.
  • If you miss your interview appointment and the fee used to schedule the appointment is already expired, you will be required to pay a new visa fee if you wish to continue with your visa application. Plan to attend your scheduled visa interview scheduled appointment to avoid having to pay a new fee.
  • If you already attended your consular appointment but you were refused under section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and your visa application is still pending review, you are not affected by the visa fee expiration date because the visa applicant is already in progress. You should follow the guidance received during your interview.

Please check information posted on https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ for the most updated information regarding your visa fee and appointment.

Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Fees

17 June, 2023

  • The application fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas is $185 USD.
  • The application fee for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) is $205 USD.
  • The application fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicant in a specialty occupation (E category) is $315 USD.

Applicants who have already paid a visa application fee that is currently valid and non-expired, but who have not yet appeared for their visa interview or are waiting for their case to be processed, will not be charged any additional fees.

Important information about the privacy and security of your account on this website

30 May, 2023

Your privacy and security are important. We strongly recommend that you do not share your sign in credentials for this Site, with anyone, under any circumstances. Our team will never request your credentials either over the phone, or via e-mail. Sharing your credentials could result in misuse or compromise of your personal information. Additionally, the use of automated tools such as bots, scripts, or other non-human interfaces within this Site is prohibited. Such tools not only have the potential to jeopardize the integrity of your personal data, but may also result in delays in the processing of your application. Refer to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of this Site for additional details. Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a high standard of security and privacy.

Important Information about Non-Immigrant Visa Processing

4 April, 2022

The Consular Sections at the U.S. Embassy in Quito and the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil are currently processing all visa categories.  Since March 2020, consular officials in Ecuador have adjudicated more than 200,000 non-immigrant visas, more than nearly all other U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world during the same time period.  Consular officials in Ecuador continue to adjudicate more than 1,000 non-immigrant visa applications daily.  However, the current demand for U.S. visas remains extremely high and the wait time for a routine B1/B2 (business/tourism) visa interview in Ecuador is more than a year.  We encourage you to plan accordingly.

Requests for Expedited Non-Immigrant Visa Appointments

We will review requests for expedited visa interviews in the following situations:

  1. If you or your immediate family member have a serious medical condition requiring urgent travel to the United States for treatment, or;
  2. If you have a legitimate business need to travel to the United States, or;
  3. If you are an 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.

Interview Waiver Processing for B1/B2 (Tourism/Business) Visa Renewals

We are pleased to announce the reactivation of the interview waiver process for B1/B2 visa renewals on April 4, 2022.  B1/B2 visa applicants 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:

  1. You must be renewing a B1/B2 visa issued in Ecuador that is either still current or expired within the past 48 months, and;
  2. You are an Ecuadorian citizen or permanent resident of Ecuador and are physically present in Ecuador, and;
  3. You were fingerprinted (10 prints) when your last B1/B2 visa was issued, and;
  4. Your previous B1/B2 visa was not lost, stolen, or revoked, and;
  5. Your most recent B1/B2 visa application was not refused, and;
  6. Other eligibility requirements may apply.

Applicants Under Age 14 or Over Age 79:  Please note that first-time and renewing applicants under age 14 or over age 79 may also qualify for the IWP process.  First-time and renewing applicants under age 14 who reside in Ecuador, have never been denied a U.S. visa, and have parents who possess valid B1/B2 visas may qualify for the interview waiver process.  First-time and renewing applicants older than 79 who reside in Ecuador and have not been denied a U.S. visa may also qualify for the interview waiver process.  An applicant’s eligibility for interview waiver process will be determined during the electronic visa application process.

Frequently Asked Questions about Interview Waiver Processing

1. How do I apply for B1/B2 visa through the interview waiver process?

When you fill out the electronic visa application at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ec/niv/users/sign_in, you will answer several questions about your situation.  If you are eligible to apply through the interview waiver process, the electronic system will direct you to a “virtual queue” where your case will wait until it is ready for processing.  Once the case is ready for processing, we will send you an email with instructions about how to send your passport and application documents to the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General.

2. I am renewing my B1/B2 visa and have already scheduled an interview with a consular officer.  Can I switch to the interview waiver process?

Some applicants who have already scheduled a visa interview may qualify for interview waiver processing and may want to select the interview waiver processing option.  Between April 4-5, we will contact by email those applicants who have a scheduled interview appointment and appear to be eligible for the interview waiver process.  We will give those applicants instructions about how to switch to the interview waiver process if they choose.  We ask for your patience until then. 

If you believe you may be eligible for the interview waiver process and do not receive an email from us by April 5, you can contact the Visa Information Services at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ec/niv/information/contact_us  for more information about changing from an interview appointment to interview waiver processing. 

3. What happens if I try to switch to the interview waiver process and learn I’m not eligible?  Will I lose my previous interview appointment?

CAUTION!  If you attempt to switch to the interview waiver process and learn you are not eligible, you will lose your previous appointment and will need to reschedule a new appointment.  This could result in a significant delay in your visa processing time.  Before attempting to switch to the interview waiver process, we urge you to carefully review all of the above requirements and ensure that everyone in your applicant group qualifies for the interview waiver process.

4. My minor child is applying for a B1/B2 visa.  How do I know if he qualifies for the interview waiver process?

CAUTION!  To qualify for the interview waiver process, your child must:

  1. Be under age 14;
    OR
  2. Have been fingerprinted (10 prints) by a consular officer when her last visa was issued.

If your child is currently over age 14 and was age 13 or under at the time of the last visa issues, she likely does not qualify for the interview waiver process and must schedule an interview with a consular officer.

5. How long will it take to process my B1/B2 renewal through the interview waiver process?

Interview waiver processing times will depend on the demand for interview waiver services.  We do not currently have an estimated processing time for interview waiver cases.  Depending on the demand for interview waiver processing and your place in the interview waiver queue, the amount of time it will take to process your visa through the interview waiver process could be longer or shorter than if you scheduled an interview.  We will provide interview waiver processing time updates on our website as soon as that information is available.

6. If I’m renewing my B1/B2 visa through the interview waiver process, how long will the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General keep my passport?

Once you receive a notification that your application is ready for interview waiver processing, you will send your passport and application documents to the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General following the instructions you receive.  In most cases, we will return your passport to you within 2-4 weeks.

7. Is my B1/B2 visa guaranteed to be approved if I renew through the interview waiver process?

No.  A consular officer will review your application and may determine an interview is required.  If required, you will receive instructions about how to schedule a follow-up interview.

8. If a consular officer determines my B1/B2 application requires an interview, will I have to go to the back of the line and wait more than a year for an appointment?

If a consular officer determines you qualify for the interview waiver process but still need an interview to gather additional information, we will send you information about scheduling an IWP “follow-up” interview with a consular officer.  In general, follow up interview appointments will be available within a few weeks after we notify you that your case requires an interview with a consular officer.

9. What happens if I incorrectly answer questions in order to qualify for the interview waiver process, but a consular officer subsequently determines that I didn’t actually qualify for the IWP process?

CAUTION!  If you inadvertently or intentionally provide false information in order to qualify for the interview waiver process, we will return your application to you and instruct you to schedule an interview with a consular officer, resulting in significant delays to your visa processing time. 

10. What if I’m renewing a B1/B2 visa that doesn’t meet the interview waiver requirements above?  Is it possible to still renew the visa without an interview?

Unless you meet all the interview waiver requirements lister above, you are not eligible for interview waiver processing and will be required to schedule a visa interview. 

11. How long is the current wait time for a visa interview?

The current wait time for routine B1/B2 visa interviews is more than one year.  The wait time fluctuates based on the demand for visas and our processing times.

12. Where can I find additional information?

You can find more information about visa processing on the U.S. Mission website at https://ec.usembassy.gov/visas/ and on the visa appointment website at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ec/niv/information/faqs.

16 September, 2020

Urgent Information For Visa Applicants

Please review the information below before scheduling or attending a visa-related appointment.

Important Announcement on Waivers of the Interview Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Visas

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF YOUR VISA FEE

Important information about the privacy and security of your account on this website

COVID-19 Vaccination and Travel to the United States

Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Fees


U.S. Visa and Travel Updates

For the latest information from the U.S. Department of State regarding visa issues and travel to the United States, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news.html.

Message from the Embassy of the United States in Quito and Consulate in Guayaquil

19 December, 2018

Did you know you can apply for a visa at the Embassy in Quito or the Consulate in Guayaquil? The requirements and process are the same, but wait times can vary significantly between Quito and Guayaquil. You can find our wait times here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html.html. Applicants can apply for a visa at the Embassy or the Consulate regardless of which province they live in. If you already filled out the DS-160 and chose one location as your application location, you can also request an appointment the other location without filling out a new DS-160. You will see the date for the first available appointment for each location when you pay your visa fee and can then select either Quito or Guayaquil when you schedule your interview. Just click the drop-down menu for Consular Section Location and choose the location with the earliest appointment.