It has been observed that some people of UAE who plan for a visit to the US or official/travel purposes find it difficult to get appointments for visa interviews in their home country.
Some of the residents are currently forced to wait at least a year for a US visa appointment at the consular offices, travel agents established. To save time, some have resorted to traveling to other Gulf countries in other to get their US visa.
For example, Indian expatriate, Ansh Peetil Thekkum, wanted to get a visa for the United States; thus, he decided to do it in Saudi Arabia since it takes much less time than in the UAE.
He said it was faster as he received his stamped US visa passport within 7 days from the US Consulate General, Al Khobar Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Thekkum also said that getting a visa for the US was relatively easier compared to Schengen or even Canadian visas.
These, travel consultants in the UAE have advised any concerned person that the latest one can get a US visa appointment in the UAE may only be by July 2025.
They have estimated this waiting time to be only three months in Oman, 2-3 weeks in Bahrain, and of similar duration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It must be said that if everything flows smoothly in the interview, they can get their passports back within five days and return to the UAE.
Families and individuals alike are now going to get their visa in other gulf countries in a bid to fasten the process according to the travel agency in the UAE.
The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi has also provided applicants with information concerning appointments for visa interviews and the other procedures that children below the age of 14 need to take.