The Department of State suspended routine visa services worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Embassy in Manila, while it began its phased resumption of routine visa services, has not returned to its routine visa services as of December 22, 2020. No specific date for the full resumption of visa services has been provided.
Visa interviews of applicants for tourist visas that are scheduled in the coming month have been cancelled through January 29, 2021 because of the challenges related to COVID-19 pandemic.
As Philippine conditions permit, the Embassy is phasing in processing some routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases, for example: travelers with urgent travel needs such as those coming to assist with the U.S. response to the pandemic, followed by students (F-1, M-1, and certain J-1) and temporary employment visas (consistent with Presidential Proclamation 10052) and some immediate family members of U.S. citizens consistent with Presidential Proclamation 10014 and 10052. It has not resumed processing of K1 visa applications yet.
Currently, the U.S. Embassy is processing emergency cases, mission-critical visa services, certain employment based healthcare professionals, age-outs, replacement visas for applicants whose immigrant visas were valid on April 2, 2020
Visa applicants can find instructions on how to request an emergency visa appointment at:
- https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-emergencyappointment.asp (Nonimmigrant Visa) or,
- https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-iv-expeditedappointment.asp (Immigrant Visa).
