UAE citizens who wish to visit the US for business or holiday have discovered a technique to secure fast visa appointments when they apply for the same visas in the next Gulf nations.
Due to a high volume of applications, citizens must wait at least a year for interviews for US visas, travel agents in the UAE told Khaleej Times.
Read: International Railway Train Driver Work Visa Opportunities
Anshil Ponthuveetil Thekkumpurath, an Indian expat, decided to travel to Saudi Arabia rather than seek a US visa in the United Arab Emirates due to this excessive delay.
It was taking 10 to 12 months in the UAE, and maybe longer, but I was desperate to obtain a US visa. In Dammam, Saudi Arabia, I went to the US Consulate General Al Khobar for a visa appointment. After a few weeks, I completed the process. Seven days later, my passport arrived with a US stamp on it,” the resident of the United Arab Emirates said.
“It’s interesting to note that, in comparison to Schengen or Canadian visas, the US visa was the easiest to obtain,” observed Thekkumpurath.
The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi’s country consular coordinator, Ron Packowitz, had previously informed Khaleej Times that individuals may apply for US visas from anywhere and that appointments could be made in any nation.
Shamsheed’s CV from Wisefox Tourism says UAE residents might wait until July 2025 to get a US visa appointment.
We advise individuals to visit any neighboring GCC nation to expedite the visa application process. The current wait times are as short as three months in Oman, two to three weeks in Bahrain, and roughly the same in Saudi Arabia. Those who pass the interview can return to the United Arab Emirates and have their passports back in five days. People are applying for US visas in nearby countries, but many are still unaware that this is an option, he said.
Shamsheed’s CV also mentioned that families and people from the UAE are applying for US visas in other Gulf nations.
Earlier appointments are possible in other GCC countries including Muscat and Saudi Arabia, according to TP Sudheesh, general manager of Deira Travel and Tourist Agency. “This option is being chosen by many people who have an urgent need to travel to the United States.”
The manager of MICE and holidays at Galadari International Travel Services, Mir Wasim Raja, said that those who want to travel to the US early are travelling to GCC nations to obtain visas as soon as possible.
In the meantime, applicants should present to the Consular Section no later than 15 minutes before the planned appointment time, according to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Unless their parents or guardians have received specific instructions to the contrary, children under the age of 14 are not required to attend visa interviews.
3 thoughts on “UAE Resident Gets US Visa in 7 Days | Find Out How”