The Department of State suspended routine visa services worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As global conditions evolve, U.S. Embassies and Consulates are beginning a phased resumption of routine visa services. Due to the impact of COVID-19, visa services and travel restrictions may change rapidly so please check this website regularly. Applicants under the age of 14 and over the age of 80, as well as individuals applying to renew a visa in the same category which expired within the last 48 months, may qualify for a waiver of the in-person interview. For more information, please see our interview waiver page: https://il.usembassy.gov/visas/interview-waiver/

The United States Embassy in Jerusalem and Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv have resumed certain nonimmigrant visa services, including employment (E/H/L/O/P/R/C1D), student (F/J/M), and very limited tourist and business (B) nonimmigrant visas. Embassy Jerusalem has also resumed processing of K1 fiancé(e) visas, as well as all categories of immigrant visas. Interview capacity remains limited, so there may be a delay in scheduling your interview once your case is documentarily qualified.

We are unable to provide a specific timeframe for when we will expand processing to include additional visa types or when we will return to processing at pre-COVID workload levels. If the service you need is not available, or if your travel plans are further in the future, keep checking this page as this is where we will share any updates.

If no appointments are available when you first check the calendar on your Visa Appointment Service account, please check it regularly for newly released appointments. We do not operate a waiting list.

We would like to emphasize that the State Department has extended the validity of the visa payment (known as the MRV fee) until September 30, 2023.  Therefore, if you do not have travel plans for the immediate future, you may be reassured that your application will be processed at any time until that date

If you have a visa appointment scheduled, please keep checking your Visa Appointment Service account and your email account (including the junk or spam folder). This is where we will send any communication about changes to appointments if necessary. If you have booked a medical examination, please contact the panel physician directly to check the status.

If you have an urgent matter and need to travel immediately, follow the guidance provided at our expedited appointment website to request an emergency appointment.  Immigrant visa applicants with an urgent need to travel should contact JerusalemIVInquiries@state.gov.

Please note that issuance of certain types of immigrant or nonimmigrant visas may currently be suspended due to Presidential Proclamations.  You can read more about current Presidential Proclamations and possible exemptions or exceptions here.

Due to limited resources, we are unable to accept visa applications for individuals who are not ordinarily resident in Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza