US Embassy will resume tourist visa on a limited basis

This Thursday, the Embassy of the United States reported that it would resume the tourist visa on a limited basis, only for applicants with receipts paid between March 14, 2019, and March 13, 2020.

We reproduce the statement below.

The US Embassy continues to provide regular services to US citizens and a continued focus on handling immigrant visa backlogs of all categories and non-immigrant visas for students and workers.

Additionally, the Embassy will prioritize those tourist visa applicants (B1/B2) whose original appointments were canceled on March 13, 2020.

Applicants in this affected category should log in to their profiles, confirm their emails are up to date and follow the instructions received via email on rescheduling.

Once this pool of applicants has been processed, we will resume appointments on a limited and phased basis as staffing resources allow. Therefore, applicants should expect a longer than normal wait time for this service and plan accordingly.

Please note that due to an ever-increasing backlog of visa appointment requests, applicants will experience delays in appointment availability. We will honor appointments that are already scheduled, so we encourage all applicants not to reschedule such appointments, as an attempt to reschedule an existing appointment could easily result in missing not only your current appointment but also the inability to reschedule. A new appointment until much later.

Additional Information

Persons applying for the same class of visa and whose previous visa expired within the last 48 months may be eligible for the interview waiver. Applicants can schedule a renewal appointment here: Renewal.

Emergency Appointments – If applicants have an urgent need to travel, they can request an emergency appointment by following the guide found here: Advance Appointment.

The US Department of State has extended the validity of visa payments (known as the MRV fee) through September 30, 2023, to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment due to the suspension of routine consular operations, have the opportunity to schedule and attend a fee-paid visa appointment.

Non-Resident Applicants: Routine appointments for applicants who do not habitually reside in the Dominican Republic are not available at this time. Any applicant currently living in the United States who wishes to extend their lawful stay should contact the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services here: USCIS.

Applicants entering the Embassy must wear a mask at all times and follow social distancing protocols. Any applicant with symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, or fever should reschedule their interview by following the instructions here: Reschedule.