In 2025, the system for scheduling interviews at U.S. embassies changed significantly. A new website appeared - usvisascheduling.com - which replaces the previous platforms for most embassies. This article covers the changes, common mistakes, and step-by-step registration instructions.
Changes to the registration site
The recent changes are meant to simplify the visa application process. With the new usvisascheduling platform, in my opinion it has actually become even harder for now.
How do I know if I should use usvisascheduling.com?
To check whether your embassy is part of the new system, go to usembassy.gov (the official site of all U.S. embassies) or ustraveldocs.com if you don't want to search the embassy site. Select your country and you'll see a list of the available consulates.
Step-by-step account registration
To register an account on usvisascheduling.com, follow a few simple steps. Click the Visa Login button. On the next page, find the Sign up now link. If you had an account in the previous system and your interview invitation was already confirmed, you can try to restore that account here - but the site often glitches and won't let you. Sometimes it may not show the Captcha text (the picture with letters and numbers); clear your browser cache and refresh, or try again another day, since the site is often under construction.
Registration requires email verification, and that email often lands in spam, so watch for it.
Very important: in the Country section, enter the country where you are having your interview, NOT your country of birth or citizenship. If you get it wrong, you'll need to contact tech support with your passport and UID information to fix it.
You can enter the address in your country of residence here, since in most cases you will pick up your passport yourself. Depending on the embassy, they may also deliver to your country of residence.
The passport data at the end of the questionnaire is also crucial:
- Enter your passport number without spaces, exactly as written in your DS-160/260.
- Dates are in month/day/year format.
- Nationality must match your DS-160/260 exactly.
- Most countries have no National ID, so you can leave that field blank.
Errors you may run into
Account already exists: this can happen when you previously created an account with a different email but the same passport. A few ways to solve it:
- Contact tech support and ask them to transfer the old account to the new one.
- Contact tech support and ask them to delete one of the accounts.
- Restore your previous account via "Forgot password".
- If you changed your passport or have a new one, use it by updating your DS-160/260.
Can't add the NVC number or schedule the interview / register delivery: this usually comes from the wrong embassy country, a mismatch of first name/last name/passport number with your DS-160/260, or a case that is not yet ready for scheduling. The fix can be simple - write to support, or sometimes you have to show up for the interview without this registration and explain that the problem could not be resolved before the interview day.
Technical failures: the site has temporary outages from time to time; access is usually limited from a few hours to a day. Try clearing your browser cache, using a VPN, or switching between mobile data and Wi-Fi.
What to do when errors happen
Don't panic. Follow the steps above, be patient (a lot of patience), and if difficulties come up you can always ask in the chat, where people who have already faced these problems can help.
And if you'd rather not make mistakes or deal with them yourself, you can always turn to a professional to handle your case. I hope this post helps you apply for your visa without any problems!