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Q: Why do you need my email address for the registration?
A: Your email address will serve as your login ID. System will also automatically send you the payment confirmation and appointment confirmation emails to your email address. Your email address will not be distributed to any outside parties.
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Q: Can I register online if I do not have an active email address?
No. The online information and appointment process requires an active email address. When you register online, we will send you an email message with a link in it. You need to click on the link in the email to finalize your registration. If you do not have an email address, you can obtain visa information and make an appointment by calling the Visa Information Service Call Center at 33 810 26 46 26.
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Q: Can I reply to the email I got when I was registering?
A: No. The email address is a one-way mail service. It cannot accept incoming emails.
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Q: What if my email address changes after I register? Will I still be able to access information and receive information from you?
A: Yes, you can change your email address by choosing the “Change Login Info“ option located on the left hand menu of the Welcome page after you are logged in.
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Q: Can I still call the U.S. Consulate General for Visa Information?
A: Nonimmigrant visa information will NOT be available through the U.S. Consulate General‘s phone numbers. Please use the Visa Information Service for all nonimmigrant visa questions, although you may still access the Embassy and Consulate General websites for general information.
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Q: Can I access the website more than once using the same PIN?
A: Your PIN will allow you to access the website as often as you need. You can continue to access the website using your login information, but you will only be able to reschedule or cancel your appointment up until 1 business day before your scheduled appointment date. If no appointment is scheduled, or the appointment is cancelled, the PIN will expire 90 days from the date of purchase.
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Q: I need to schedule appointments for my whole family. Do I need a PIN for each person?
A: No, you may schedule an appointment for yourself and up to 4 immediate family members who reside in the same household using the same PIN. “Immediate family members“ implies: husband, wife, mother, father, child, brother or sister.
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Q: The confirmation email I received has strange characters. Why?
A: Please note that when using certain email clients, for example Hotmail and Yahoo, the email formatting may not appear as intended. Your information has been stored correctly and the strange characters do not indicate any errors in your data.
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Q: What should I do if I lose my Appointment Confirmation Letter before my interview?
A: You should attend your interview as scheduled with all the required application documents. You can also log back into the website to reprint the appointment confirmation document, Electronic Visa Form DS-160.
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Q: What happens if I lose my passport and obtain another one before my scheduled appointment date?
A: You can attend the scheduled appointment and present the new passport. If you are not able to obtain a new passport before your appointment date you must contact the Visa Information Service again and cancel or reschedule your appointment. You will not be able to apply for a visa without a valid passport.
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Q: What happens if I cannot attend the interview on the appointment date? Can I give the appointment to someone else to attend instead?
A: If it is impossible to attend the interview on the date you scheduled you can log in to your account again to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Another person cannot attend your appointment. The appointment is non-transferable. Only the person(s) scheduled will be allowed to enter the Consulate.
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Q: Do children under age 14 or adults over 80 years of age have to attend the interview?
A: Children that are under 14 years of age and adults that are over 80 years of age do not need to appear in person if they are French Nationals or Legal Permanent Residents of France.
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Q: Where can I receive general Customs information?
A: For general customs information relating to importing, exporting and the expatriate community as well as the traveling public, contact the U.S Customs web site:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel.
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Q: I have a valid United States visa in an expired (old) passport. Can it still be used?
A: Yes, if you will be entering the United States for a reason consistent with the type of valid visa you have. You should carry the old passport that contains the valid visa and your current (new) passport. You will use both for entry into the United States.
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Q: Do I need a visa to go to the United States?
A: French citizens do not require a visa to enter the United States and may enter under the Visa Waiver Program (if all of the VWP requirements are met).
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Q: My visa was denied. Can the decision be overturned?
A: You must reapply and have a second interview for the case to be reconsidered. A refused applicant may reapply at any time should circumstances change or should he/she become able to present additional evidence of compelling ties to his/her home country.
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Q: What documents do I need for my visa to be approved?
A: Consular officers evaluate applications on a case-by-case basis. There is no one document that guarantees issuance (or refusal) of a visa as each case is different and what may demonstrate strong ties in one case may not do so in another.
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Q: I have a student visa that was approved, when can I enter the United States?
A: You can enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days before the start date listed on your I-20 Form. A student who wants an earlier entry into the U.S. (more than 30 days prior to the course start date), must qualify for, and obtain a visitor visa. A prospective student notation will be shown on his/her visitor visa and the traveler will need to make the intent to study clear to the U.S. immigration inspector at port of entry. Before beginning any studies, he or she must obtain a change of classification, filing Form I-539 , Application for Change of Nonimmigrant Status, and also submit the required Form I-20 to the Department of Homeland Security office where the application is made. Please be aware that there is an additional fee of $140 for this process, and that one may not begin studies until the change of classification is approved.
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Q: Am I going to be fingerprinted?
A: Yes, fingerprints will be collected during the interview process. The fingerprinting of both index fingers is done using an inkless, electronic process. This requirement will not increase significantly the length of your interview.
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Q: Why is there a message saying if I cancel I need to buy a new PIN?
A: When you purchased and activated your web based PIN, your profile was set up and you were notified of the number of scheduling and rescheduling opportunities. Every time you “schedule“ or “reschedule“ or “cancel“ your appointment, your profile is updated to reflect the remaining number of opportunities for scheduling and rescheduling. If you have used up your 3 available opportunities you will receive this message. To proceed further, you must buy a new PIN.
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Q: How many times can I change my appointment date?
A: For scheduling, rescheduling and cancellations, you have three total opportunities.
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Q: I could not find an available appointment in time for my trip. What can I do?
A: If you have a Web account, log on again and if you have not yet scheduled an appointment please look again at the calendar. Availability can change often, due to other applicants having canceled their appointments. However, if you have booked an appointment already, and now wish to have an earlier appointment, you must cancel your current appointment in order to view the calendar to see if there is an earlier date for which you would like to schedule.
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Q: When does my PIN expire?
A: The Web PIN allows unlimited access for up to 90 days after purchase if no appointment is made. If you schedule or reschedule an appointment, your PIN will remain active after the appointment date for information for 10 days.
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Q: I bought a PIN but decided not to apply for a visa. Can I get a refund?
A: No. Your PIN is not refundable in any situation.
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Q: What if I miss my appointment on the scheduled interview day-can I still reschedule using my old PIN?
A: No. Your PIN will only allow access for information purposes after the interview date, for up to ten additional days. If you need to make another appointment, you must purchase a new PIN. Appointments can be rescheduled up to one business day before the appointment date.
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Q: I previously scheduled an appointment online. Can I buy a new PIN and schedule an appointment for someone else using my account?
A: No. Once you have registered a name and email address, the name associated with that account cannot be changed. You may add family members to your existing appointment. However, if you are scheduling an appointment for a different primary applicant you must register for a new account using that person's name and email address. PINs purchased for someone else under your account cannot be refunded.