Terms and Conditions

On this page:

Use of website

The United States (U.S.) Department of State (DoS) contracted CGI to provide general information and administrative services related to U.S. visa applications. Your use of this website is subject to these terms and conditions, and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Prohibited conduct

You may not access or use the website through any automated means, including but not limited to bots, crawlers or scripts.

You may not access or use the website for any improper purpose.

MRV Fees

  • If you have encountered an error with your payment or you believe your payment was not successful, DO NOT PAY THE FEE A SECOND TIME AS IT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. We recommend you check your bank account. If your bank account was debited and you cannot schedule your appointment, please contact our call center for further assistance.
  • Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, this fee may be used for scheduling an appointment within one year from the date of payment or as per the Visa Fee Validity Extension guidance in effect as a result of the suspension of routine visa services.
  • The MRV fee may be used for a limited number of appointment reschedules. Once tagged to a profile or used for the initial appointment, the MRV fee cannot be transferred to another applicant.
  • All payments must be made only in the local currency and are valid only for appointments scheduled in the country where the payment was made. MRV fees cannot be transferred to a U.S. Embassy/Consulate outside of the country where the payment was made. In such cases, the applicant will need to purchase a new MRV fee in the country where he/she wishes to apply.  
  •  Payments made using a deposit slip that is past its expiration date, or payments made using fee collection methods and vendors not listed on our website’s Bank and Payment Options page/Pay My Visa Fee page, may cause the following issues:
    • Delays in processing the payment
    • Underpayments which may require another payment to reach the full amount due
    • Problems with processing the payment which may require that the payment be made again

Changes to Procedures and Fees

The procedures and fees of U.S. Non-Immigrant and Immigrant Visas are outside CGI’s control and are subject to change without notice. CGI does not accept responsibility for any changes in procedures or fees and reserves the right to pass on increases in fees.

Call center

  •  Our call center provides general information in line with U.S. Embassy/Consulate instructions.
  • Call center agents cannot provide assistance with completing the DS-160/260 application forms. They also cannot advise applicants on the visa class they should apply for, nor identify specific documents the applicant should present during the interview.
  • All phone calls received that support the service may be recorded for quality and training purposes. In such cases, the user(s) will be informed of this practice and its purpose at the start of any such interaction.
  • The call center may be reached by phone, email, or chat only via the contact information provided on the website. 

Data collection and use

CGI provides support services to U.S. DoS such as collecting applications data, assisting with scheduling Embassy or Consulate appointments, fee collection services and supporting applicants with call center and document delivery services.

In order to provide these services, CGI collects personal information including, but not limited to: name, address, date of birth, passport number, Internet Protocol (IP) address, and other data points. All information collected through this service is captured and stored on computer systems maintained in the United States, pursuant to CGI’s contract with DoS.

CGI processes personal information collected through this website for the purposes of:

  • Handling/responding to applicant inquiries and requests
  • Processing requests for visa applications and appointments services
  • Tracking application progress

Authenticity

CGI is not responsible for the authenticity or accuracy of the information provided by any applicant. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the information provided to CGI is accurate

Emergency appointments

  • A request for an emergency appointment can only be made online via the applicant’s profile; by the applicant personally, or by the applicant’s representative acting on their behalf. An emergency appointment may only be requested once per application.
  •  Emergency requests are subject to Embassy/Consulate approval. Before requesting an emergency appointment, applicants should ensure they have documentary evidence to prove the urgency.
  • Cases that may be considered an emergency may include urgent medical care for oneself or for a relative or employer that must be accompanied; a funeral/death; urgent business travel; or students or exchange visitors. Please carefully follow the instructions noted on the Apply for an Expedited Appointment page of our website.

Group appointments

  • A request for a group appointment can only be made online in the group coordinator’s profile and is subject to Embassy/Consulate approval.
  •  Once it is approved, the group coordinator may schedule the group appointment, but each applicant must complete his/her own Form DS-160 and pay the MRV fee. The time frame in which the group can be scheduled is limited; do not forget to check the expiration date in the notification received by the group coordinator.

Appointment availability

Appointments are provided on sequential basis and dependent on certain criteria of the applicant. Embassies and Consulates may have a separate process on how to prioritize certain visa cases based on criteria that might vary or change.  CGI is neither responsible for determining these criteria nor able to guarantee any appointment or other services.

Wait Time for Interview  

The estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate can change and is based on actual incoming workload and staffing. These are estimates only and do not guarantee the availability of an appointment.

Passport delivery

  • Passports may be collected based on the location and method selected by the applicant during the scheduling process. The delivery address or pickup location can only be changed until 11:59 pm of the date of the appointment.   If this needs to be changed, it can be done in the applicant profile on the www.ustraveldocs.com website.
  • Passports not collected within 14 Calendar days will be RETURNED to the respective U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Applicants will then need to pick up their passports/documents directly from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. 
  • To collect the passport, the applicant must present their own original, government-issued photo ID.  Representatives collecting a passport for the applicant must have their own original, government-issued photo ID, a photocopy of the applicant’s ID, and an original authorization letter. For groups, one original authorization letter for all applicants in the group is sufficient.
  • The applicant shall, at his/her sole risk, be responsible for taking all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized persons from collecting the passport.

Visa Issuance

The decision to issue or refuse a visa is made solely by the Embassy or Consulate. CGI has no role or influence over the outcome of an application and will not offer any evaluative advice.

Internet-based Transfers

Given that the Internet is a global environment, using the Internet to collect and process personal data necessarily involves the transmission of data internationally. By browsing this website and communicating electronically with CGI, applicants acknowledge they understand this and agree to CGI processing personal data in this fashion.

Other Websites

CGI’s website may contain links to other websites which are outside CGI control and are not covered by this privacy policy. Should applicants access other sites using the links provided, the operators of those sites may collect applicant information. They may use this information in accordance with their privacy policies, which may differ from CGI’s. Neither CGI, our officers, employees, or agents shall have any responsibility or liability of any nature whatsoever for these other websites or any information contained in them, none of which have been verified or endorsed by CGI or affiliates.

General

The contents of these Terms and Conditions may be changed at any time and users will be subject to terms applicable at the time of usage.