US eyes new visa application center

Manila—The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines will open a new Visa Application Center (VAC), launch an updated visa appointment system, and expand call center services to U.S. citizens in the Philippines starting on Sept. 28, 2024.

The new VAC will be located at Parqal Building 8, Level 3, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Brgy. Tambo, Parañaque City. Immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants seeking interview appointments starting Sept. 28, 2024 will be required to schedule a separate appointment at the VAC for photo capture and fingerprint scanning prior to their interview at the US Embassy on Roxas Blvd. Scheduling will be done through the new and redesigned online appointment system.

Applicants who have scheduled a visa interview before Sept. 28, 2024 will not be affected by this change and should proceed directly to their appointment at the Embassy.

The new online appointment system will feature a secure and user-friendly interface for visa applicants and will be available on Sept. 28, 2024 on ustraveldocs.com/ph. Applicants who have existing accounts in the current visa appointment system will be required to sign in to the new system using their already-registered email address to retrieve their user profile, which includes payment receipts and appointment information.

The VAC will offer appointment slots from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays. No appointment is needed for applicants who would like to pick up their passports or drop off interview waiver visa applications and other required documents from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy will launch a call center for customers with general, non-emergency American Citizen Services (ACS) inquiries. U.S. citizens can call consular hotlines at (+632) 7792-8988 or (+632) 8548-8223, or (703) 520-2235 for callers in the United States, with passport, citizenship, and notarial service questions. The U.S. Embassy will also launch a new and dedicated website (ustraveldocs.com/ph/en/american-citizens-services) and email (support-acs-philippines@usvisascheduling.com) for these ACS services on September 28. Inquiries not related to passport, citizenship, or notarials should still be sent to the embassy’s ACS unit directly via ACSInfoManila@state.gov.

Updates regarding these changes will be posted on the U.S. Embassy website (ph.usembassy.gov) and on the Embassy’s Facebook (facebook.com/USEmbassyPH/) and X account (@USEmbassyPH).

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