Starting March 16, 2009, U.S. Embassy Bridgetown will require ALL non-immigrant visa applicants, regardless of visa type, to schedule ON-LINE an appointment for a visa interview. Effective March 16, the Consular Section will not accept any walk-in visa applicants. Anyone appearing at the Embassy without an appointment made on-line will be turned away.{{more}} These changes are part of our continued effort to provide good customer service, streamline the visa process, and decrease wait times.

A release from the Embassy says: “The Embassy remains committed to accommodating visa applicants and facilitating legitimate travel to the United States. We will continue to expedite visa appointments for students who are unable to get an appointment prior to their travel date and in cases of true emergencies, when an immediate appointment date is not available. You will be required to provide proof of your school’s start date or proof of the emergency for which you need an expedited appointment. Failure to plan ahead for non-emergency travel is not grounds for an expedited appointment.”

Only those non-immigrant visa applicants who are required to appear in person for an interview need to make appointments. Visa applications for children under the age of 14 and persons 80 years of age or older may be submitted by mail — a personal appearance is not required.

For information on the non-immigrant visa application process, please visit the Consular Section’s web site at http://barbados.usembassy.gov/consular.html. To schedule an appointment, http://evisaforms.state.gov/schedulingsystem.asp for WEB VERSION, write out URL for print version] and select the calendar that applies to your visa type.

The staff of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section in Bridgetown, Barbados, appreciates the public’s understanding and cooperation as these changes take effect.