Appointments
In order to apply for a visa, applicants must appear in person for an interview at a U.S. Consulate General in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth. Before you begin the process of scheduling an appointment, please use our Visa Wizard to determine whether or not you need to apply for a visa.
If you do require a visa, you will first need to complete the DS-160 application form online and create a profile. More information regarding each step is available at the Non-Immigrant visa home page. Once you have created a profile you will be able to pay the application fee and schedule an appointment at: http://www.ustraveldocs.com
If you are experiencing difficulties scheduling an appointment you may contact the Visa Information Service. Contact information is available here.
Emergency Appointments
In certain circumstances, you can request an expedited appointment if there is not an available appointment as early as you need. If you meet any of the following criteria, you may submit a request for an expedited appointment through your online profile. To do this you must first cancel your existing appointment, further instructions are available here
- To attend the funeral of an immediate family member;
- Medical emergency;
- Fulbright scholars;
- Member of cultural group replacing an original member due to illness/unforeseen contingency;
- J1 and F1 visa applicants who received DS-2019 or I-20 form less than 14 days before program is due to start;
- Unexpected, time sensitive business travel significant to U.S. economic interest;
- Journalists traveling to cover fast-breaking news.
Do I need to attend an interview?
Most applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 (inclusive) must appear in person for an interview at a U.S. Consulate. Applicants younger than 14 or older than 79 who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the country in which they are applying must also appear in person.
Children under 14 years of age and adults over 80 years of age who are also Australian citizens or Permanent Residents can post in their application. More information is available on our Postal Applications page.
If you are applying for the same visa classification within 12 months of the expiration of your previous visa, and you have previously provided a full set of 10 fingerprints at a Consulate, you may be eligible for a waiver of the personal appearance/interview. Please see the Department of State’s Fingerprint Reissue/Reuse Program to see if you qualify.
Visa interview appointment wait time
Advance travel planning and early visa application are important. If you plan to apply for a nonimmigrant visa to come to the United States as a temporary visitor, please review the information provided at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/wait_4638.html.
If you plan to travel to the United States as a visitor to seek medical treatment, please read an explanation of the documentary requirements at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1262.html#10