Applying for a US Visa? Website outages are causing delays worldwide

US Visa Applicants Face Global Disruptions as Scheduling Systems Experience Technical Issues

Indians planning to travel to the United States this summer may face unexpected delays as technical problems affecting key US visa processing websites continue to disrupt visa applications, interview bookings and fee payments across multiple countries.

 

The issues are affecting USTravelDocs, one of the primary platforms used by the US government for visa appointment scheduling and fee collection at American embassies and consulates worldwide.

 

The disruptions come at a particularly challenging time, with demand for US visas rising ahead of the summer travel season and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.

 

What is happening?

 

According to immigration experts at Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP, USTravelDocs has been experiencing persistent technical issues that have worsened in recent weeks.

 

 

"One of three primary visa scheduling websites used by the U.S. State Department — USTravelDocs.com — has been experiencing ongoing technical issues, which have significantly increased over the last few weeks, preventing visa applicants globally from applying for visas, paying processing fees and scheduling visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad," said Berry Appleman & Leiden.

 

The USTravelDocs.com website has the following notice online for each country-specific portal: “The scheduling portal is currently experiencing technical issues, and applicants may encounter errors with the system during this time. We apologize for this inconvenience as we work to resolve the problem.”

 

Users may experience a range of issues when accessing the USTravelDocs.com portal. Notable issues include, but are not necessarily limited to, significant delays in accessing user accounts via a “waiting room” or waiting virtually “in line,” payment-related issues and login or other errors. Many users cannot access the website at all, leaving them unable to pay visa processing fees or schedule an interview.

 

Global mobility and World Cup impact

 

" The impact on global mobility for the countries that depend on the USTravelDocs.com processing portal will be substantial given increased visa demand for the summer travel season, including in high-volume visa countries and in several FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying countries," noted Berry Appleman & Leiden.

 

US State Department is working to resolve the issue

 

The US State Department has acknowledged the technical issues and is working to resolve them.

 

 Many U.S. embassies and consulates leverage USTravelDocs.com to collect visa processing fees and for visa interview scheduling, including consular processing posts in India, Australia, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and several other countries.

 

In addition to the above technical issues on USTravelDocs.com, immigrant visa applicants (green cards issued abroad) are experiencing additional problems as the State Department’s Consular Electronic Application Center, the website for submitting Form DS-260, is also experiencing technical issues. 

 

As Per a notice on CEAC: “Technical specialists are continuing to work on the Department of State’s consular systems. While most applicants are now able to access this site, those who are still having difficulty should wait at least 24 hours before trying again and visit http://nvc.state.gov/ for instructions.”

 

Why this matters for Indian Applicants

 

The issue is particularly significant for India because USTravelDocs is used extensively by the US visa processing system in the country.

 

Whether applying for:

 

• Tourist visas (B1/B2)
• Student visas (F-1)
• Work visas such as H-1B
• Exchange visitor visas
• Family-based immigration visas

 

Green Card Applicants also facing problems

 

The disruption is not limited to non-immigrant visas.

 

Applicants pursuing immigrant visas—commonly referred to as green cards issued outside the United States—are also encountering technical issues.

 

The US Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC), which is used to submit Form DS-260 for immigrant visa processing, has also reported system problems.

 

The website has advised applicants experiencing difficulties to wait at least 24 hours before attempting access again.