This guide is for UAE residents who want a USA Visit Visa from UAE, whether for a holiday, a family visit or a business trip. Bolo Asan checked the official U.S. pages on 10 November 2026. The first thing to know is that routine visa processing is not available in the UAE right now. Read that part first, then the fee and the steps below.
Quick Answer: Routine U.S. visa processing is not available in the UAE right now. If you want a USA Visit Visa from UAE, you cannot book a routine interview at the Abu Dhabi or Dubai posts today. UAE residents are told to apply in their home country instead. The application fee is $185, and it is non-refundable. Check the Mission’s Visas page before you act, because the position can change.
Who this guide is for
A USA visit visa is a nonimmigrant visa for a temporary stay. B-1 covers business, B-2 covers tourism, and B-1/B-2 covers both. You apply for the type that fits your trip, and the consulate decides which one you get.
If you hold a passport from one of the 42 countries on the U.S. Visa Waiver Program list, you can travel to the United States for 90 days or less without a visa. You must hold a valid ESTA approval before you travel. Qatar is on that list. The UAE, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are not on it, so their passport holders need a B visitor visa. If you are a citizen of a VWP country and prefer a visa, you may still apply for one.
You should generally apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. You may apply at another post where you will be present, but it can be harder to show your ties there. For most UAE residents, that means the Embassy or Consulate in your home country. Routine processing is not available in the UAE right now.
The most important fact: no routine processing in the UAE
On 10 November 2026, the U.S. Mission’s Visas page said, in plain words, that the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai are open. It also said routine visa processing is not available in the United Arab Emirates at this time. Further updates will be posted on that page when they are available. That is the position this guide follows, and it is dated here so you can see how fresh it is.
Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality. Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, so confirm where you will interview before you pay. An older notice on the same site speaks of limited processing. The current Visas page is the one to trust, so check it before you act.
On 26 March 2026, the U.S. travel advisory for the UAE stood at Level 3, which means Reconsider Travel. That was the level on that date, and this guide does not present it as today’s level. The advisory is background only. The visa position above is what decides your next step.
The two offices are still there. The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi is at P.O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi, and its phone is +971-2 414 2200. The U.S. Consulate General in Dubai is at the corner of Al Seef Rd. and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Rd, Dubai. Its phone is +971-4-309-4000. The offices are open, but routine visa processing is not available at this time.
The Mission page also says appointments for nonimmigrant visa interviews are released every Friday morning between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., except on U.S. and UAE holidays. Extra appointments may be released outside that schedule when needed. That is the release schedule the page states. It does not mean routine interviews are open now, so read it with the position above.
How to apply for a USA Visit Visa from UAE
The process has four parts. You complete the form, you pay the fee, you attend an interview, and the consulate decides. This section covers the normal process. It applies when routine processing is open at the post where you apply.
You complete the online Form DS-160, and you print the confirmation page to bring to your interview. An interview is generally required for a visitor visa, with only limited exceptions. A consular officer may require an interview from any applicant.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your stay in the United States. A country-specific agreement may exempt you. Bring four things to the interview. They are your passport, the DS-160 confirmation page, the fee payment receipt if you had to pay before the interview, and a photo. You upload the photo with the DS-160. If the photo upload fails, bring one printed photo in the format the photograph requirements explain.
The consulate may ask for more papers. It may ask for proof of the purpose of your trip. It may also ask for proof that you intend to leave after your trip, and proof that you can pay for the trip. You qualify on your ties abroad, not on promises from family or friends in the United States. A letter of invitation or an Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply.
Since 1 October 2025, almost every applicant needs an in-person interview, including children under 14 and adults over 79. The main exception for a visitor visa is a renewal. If you renew a B-1, B-2 or B1/B2 visa within 12 months of the old visa’s expiry, you may qualify for a waiver. The old visa must have been issued for its full validity when you were at least 18. Diplomatic and official visa applicants are also excepted. To qualify for a waiver, you must also apply in your country of nationality or usual residence. You must never have been refused a visa, unless the refusal was overcome or waived. You must also have no apparent ineligibility. A consular officer can still ask you to come in for an interview.
What it costs
The fee for a USA Visit Visa from UAE is $185, and it is non-refundable. That is the nonimmigrant visa application processing fee for a visitor visa. It is the government cost today.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (B-1/B-2) | $185 |
| Visa issuance fee | Varies by nationality |
| Visa Integrity Fee | $250 in law, not collected |
After approval, you may need to pay a visa issuance fee if it applies to your nationality. The amount varies, so check the State Department’s Visa Reciprocity Tables for your country. This guide gives no issuance figure for any nationality, because the figure depends on your passport.
The $250 Visa Integrity Fee is real law. A 2025 law, signed on 4 July 2025 and codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1806, requires the fee from any person issued a nonimmigrant visa. It applies at the time of issuance, on top of any other fee. For fiscal year 2025, the amount is the greater of $250 or an amount set by rule. From fiscal year 2026, it rises each year with inflation. The fee cannot be waived or reduced. But the published fee schedule lists no integrity fee, so $435 is not today’s total. It is only the total if collection of the integrity fee begins. Check the fee page and the post where you apply before you pay.
Bolo Asan read the full fee list on 10 November 2026, and no integrity fee appears on it.
Tip: Confirm where you will interview before you pay the fee, because the fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. If routine processing is not available at that post, your money does not come back.
How long the wait is
The wait for a USA Visit Visa from UAE is long on paper. The State Department’s Global Visa Wait Times page was last updated on 21 October 2026. On that page, the next available B1/B2 interview appointment is 10 months away in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Abu Dhabi also shows an average wait of 1.5 months for people interviewed last month. Dubai shows no average figure.
For comparison, the same table lists 12.5 months for Islamabad and 7.5 months for Karachi. It lists 12 months for Mumbai and 11 months for New Delhi. The State Department updates these figures monthly. The next available appointment figure predicts when you can expect an appointment. New appointments are added regularly, so you may get one sooner. Average waits are given for B1/B2 visas only where the next available appointment is more than three months away. The averages do not guarantee you an appointment within a set time.
Note: The wait-time table still lists 10 months for Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Mission page says routine processing is not available in the UAE. The two facts come from different pages, so check the Mission page before you act.
The $750 expedited pilot
Through 31 December 2026, the State Department is testing an expedited appointment pilot at selected posts. Eligible B-visa applicants at those posts may pay $750 per appointment to schedule an interview within 10 business days. That applies only if a slot is available. You must first pay the $185 fee and schedule a regular interview. After you select an expedited date, you must complete the $750 payment within 10 minutes. The date cannot be changed, a missed appointment forfeits the fee, and the fee is not refundable. The pilot buys an earlier appointment only. It does not guarantee a visa.
The pilot runs at six locations only: Mission Canada, Embassy Bogota, Embassy Guatemala City, Embassy San Jose, Embassy Tegucigalpa and Mission Mexico. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not on the list, so a UAE applicant cannot pay $750 for a 10-day interview. The State Department says more pilot locations may be announced during the pilot period. Check the pilot page before you rely on this list.
Who the 2026 suspension affects
On 1 January 2026, a U.S. proclamation suspended visa issuance for nationals of certain countries. The proclamation is Presidential Proclamation 10998, and it took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on that date.
The full suspension covers 19 countries. They are Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya and Mali. The rest are Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also covers people who travel on documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. For these nationals, visa issuance is fully suspended for all nonimmigrant and immigrant categories, with limited exceptions. The exceptions cover certain diplomatic and official visas. They also cover immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran. Dual nationals who apply with a passport of a nationality that is not suspended are also excepted. Special Immigrant Visas for U.S. government employees, participants in certain major sporting events, and lawful permanent residents are also excepted.
The partial suspension covers 19 more countries. They are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia and Malawi. The rest are Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For these countries, the suspension covers B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas. Turkmenistan is partly suspended for immigrant visas only.
Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh and the UAE are on neither list. The proclamation applies to a narrow group. It covers foreign nationals who were outside the United States on 1 January 2026 and held no valid visa on that date. People who held valid visas on that date are not subject to it. No visa issued before 1 January 2026 has been or will be revoked under it. Applicants who are subject to the proclamation may still submit applications and schedule interviews. They may still be ineligible for a visa or for admission. The earlier family exceptions for immediate-family immigrant visas, adoption visas and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas are no longer available under the proclamation.
Bolo Asan lists both suspension lists above so you can check your own nationality against them. If your nationality is on either list, the suspension decides your case, not the fee or the wait time.
What a visa does not do
A visa lets you travel to a U.S. port of entry and ask for permission to enter. It does not guarantee entry. The CBP officer at the port of entry decides. A person on a visitor visa is not permitted to accept employment or work in the United States. There is no guarantee you will be issued a visa. Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa.
Birth tourism is not permissible on a visitor visa. That means travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for the child.
If you do not depart the United States on time, you will be out of status. Under U.S. law, the visas of people who are out of status are automatically voided. That rule is Section 222(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. An overstay may also make you ineligible for visas in the future.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not pay $435 thinking it is today’s total. The fee today is $185, and the $250 integrity fee is not on the published schedule.
- Do not pay $750 for a 10-day interview in the UAE. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not in the pilot.
- Do not buy tickets before you have a visa. A visa does not guarantee entry, and the CBP officer decides at the port.
- Do not travel to give birth on a visitor visa. Birth tourism is not permissible on a B visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bolo Asan answers the questions readers ask most about a USA Visit Visa from UAE.
Can I apply for a USA Visit Visa from UAE now?
No. Routine visa processing is not available in the UAE right now. The U.S. Mission page says UAE residents should apply in their country of residence or nationality, and the fees are non-refundable. Check the Mission’s Visas page before you act.
How much does a USA Visit Visa from UAE cost?
$185, and it is non-refundable. The $250 Visa Integrity Fee is law, but it does not appear on the published fee schedule, so $435 is not today’s total. The fees section above gives the full picture.
How long will I wait for an interview?
The wait-time page, last updated on 21 October 2026, lists 10 months for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. New appointments are added regularly, so you may get one sooner. The wait-times section above explains how the figures work.
Can I pay $750 for an interview within 10 days?
You cannot use it in the UAE. The pilot runs at six posts only, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not among them. The pilot runs through 31 December 2026, and the list of posts can grow, so check the pilot page before you rely on it.
I hold a UAE passport. Do I need a visa?
Yes. The UAE is not on the Visa Waiver Program list, so UAE passport holders need a B visitor visa. The list names 42 countries, and Qatar is on it.
I hold a Pakistani passport. Does the 2026 suspension affect me?
No. Pakistan is on neither the full nor the partial suspension list. The suspension section above lists both lists so you can check.
Can I renew my B visa without an interview?
Only a narrow case qualifies. If you renew a B-1, B-2 or B1/B2 visa within 12 months of the old visa’s expiry, you may qualify for a waiver. The old visa must have been issued for its full validity when you were at least 18. A consular officer can still ask you to come in.
Before you act
If you still want a USA Visit Visa from UAE, start with the Mission’s Visas page, not with a payment. Check whether routine processing is open, confirm where you will interview, and only then pay the $185 fee. If you hold a passport from a country on the suspension lists, check those lists first. If you want a visa for the UK or Canada instead, start with a guide for that country. Bolo Asan’s UK Visit Visa from UAE guide covers the UK route, and the Canada Visit Visa from UAE guide covers Canada.
Official Sources
Bolo Asan opened these official pages on 10 November 2026 and copied the lines this guide rests on. Open them to check the latest rules.
- Visitor Visa, U.S. Department of State
- Fees for Visa Services, U.S. Department of State
- Global Visa Wait Times, U.S. Department of State
- Visa Waiver Program, U.S. Department of State
- Suspension of Visa Issuance, U.S. Department of State
- Visas, U.S. Mission UAE
Disclaimer: This guide gives general information for readers in the UAE. It is not legal or visa advice. Rules, fees and visa processing can change at any time, so check the official pages above before you act. Bolo Asan holds no link with any state office.
Last Updated: 10 November 2026