Can I expedite a Schengen Visa appointment for consulates in the US?
I live in the USA and hope to travel to Spain in ~6 weeks.
My citizenship requires a Schengen visa for traveling to Spain.
Applying for the Schengen visa requires making an appointment and appearing in person at the Spanish consulate in New York.
The wait time for an appointment is currently 10 weeks.
Unless I can secure an earlier appointment, I cannot obtain my visa in time to travel.
I have contacted two visa expediting services; they were unable to assist.
Can anyone offer advice on how to obtain an earlier appointment?
Or any other advice on how to proceed?
Best Answer
I'll be traveling to Germany, Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic. My main destination is Austria. My family and I had planned a European vacation this summer. My family resides in Asia and they had the visa stamped.
I reached out via email to Austrian embassy in LA explaining them that if I do not get visa in time the entire family vacation would be spoiled. They were kind enough to accommodate me.
I know this is a pretty old question. Just sharing my experience for anyone else who is in a similar spot.
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Can consular processing be expedited?
In emergencies or hardship, a petitioner can speed up an immigration case with a National Visa Center (NVC) expedite request. USCIS sends overseas petitions to the NVC. Normally, USCIS notifies you with a Notice of Approval that the petition is approved and sent to the National Visa Center.Can you expedite a visa appointment?
Please note that you must schedule an appointment before you can request an expedited date. At the time you schedule your appointment, you will see an onscreen message showing the earliest available appointment date, which includes expedited appointments.How do I expedite a consular interview?
To request a review for expedite, please submit a scanned letter (or statement) to NVCExpedite@state.gov from a physician (or medical facility). The letter must include the physician's (or medical facility's) contact information, and declare a life or death medical emergency exists.How long does it take to get an appointment for Schengen visa?
All you have to do is to sit back and wait to hear from the embassy regarding the decision. It usually takes between 7-15 days for applications to be processed.How to Expedite your Non Immigrant Visa Appointment
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Answer 2
It looks like there are Spanish consulates in quite a few American cities:
http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/spanish-consulates-usa.html
Maybe you could obtain an appointment on shorter notice in one of the other cities. New Orleans?
I may as well ask if you're sure you need to obtain the Schengen visa beforehand. I'm a US citizen and I've traveled to Spain many times (I'm here now) and I've never had to obtain the visa beforehand. Then again, I'm sure you've already looked into that.
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