Apply for an Emergency Appointment

Overview

If you have to travel to the U.S. for an emergency, you may qualify for an expedited appointment.

Qualifications

It is essential that you possess all required documentation for your desired visa type before you make this request. Please be aware that false statements about the need for an emergency appointment may adversely affect the credibility of your case during the visa interview.

    Medical Emergency

    Purpose of travel is to obtain emergency medical care, to accompany a relative or employer for emergency medical care, or to travel to be with a an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) undergoing emergency medical care in the United States.
    Required proof: A letter from the doctor who is treating or will treat you or your loved one. The letter must describe the medical condition and the urgency of the situation. You must also present evidence of your relationship to the sick or injured person.

    Funeral/Death

    Purpose of travel is to attend the funeral of or make arrangements for repatriating the body of an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) in the United States.
    Required proof: A letter from the funeral director stating the contact information, the details of the deceased and the date of the funeral. You must also present evidence that the deceased is an immediate relative.

    Business

    Purpose of travel is to attend to a business matter where the travel requirement could not be predicted sufficiently in advance.
    Required proof: A letter from the corresponding company in the United States and from the Ivorians company attesting to the urgency of the planned visit. The letter must describe the nature of the business and the loss if an emergency appointment is not available.

Applying for an Emergency Appointment
    Step 1

    Pay the visa application fee.

    Step 2

    Complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form.

    Step 3

    Schedule an appointment online for the earliest available date. Please note that you must schedule an appointment before you can request an expedited date. At the time you schedule your appointment, you will see an onscreen message showing the earliest available appointment date, which includes emergency appointments. Accordingly, you may find that it is not necessary to request an emergency appointment because there are no earlier dates available. If you wish to proceed with requesting an emergency appointment, then complete the Emergency Request Form or contact the call center to request assistance. Please be sure to note the type of emergency you believe qualifies you for an emergency appointment. Once you have submitted your request, please wait for a response from the Embassy, which will come via email.

    Step 4

    If the Embassy approves your request then you will receive an email alerting you to schedule your emergency appointment online. Please understand that the call center cannot schedule your emergency appointment for you, but agents are able to assist you if questions arise. Should the Embassy deny your request for an emergency appointment, you will be notified of the denial by email and you should keep your existing appointment.

    Note: The email confirming or denying your request will come from no-reply@ustraveldocs.com. Some email applications have rules which filter unknown senders into a spam or junk mail folder. If you have not received your email notification, please look for the message in your junk and spam email folders.

    Step 5

    Visit the U. S. Embassy in Abidjan on the date and time of your interview. Bring all required documents with you.