Update on Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for nonimmigrant travel
The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. This means starting May 12, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. CDC’s Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic will no longer be in effect when the Presidential Proclamation Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is revoked.
The U.S. Department of State has increased certain nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees. These fee increases are effective June 17, 2023.
- The application fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s), and other non-petition based NIVs, such as student and exchange visitor visas, has increased from USD160 to USD185.
- The application fee for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) has increased from USD190 to USD205.
- The application fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicant in a specialty occupation (E category) has increased from USD205 to USD315.
The Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong is responsible for providing visa services to those seeking to enter the United States for a temporary period and for those wishing to take up indefinite or permanent residence in the United States.
Please visit our Global Support Services (GSS) website for complete information on applying for a nonimmigrant U.S. visa, including a directory of nonimmigrant visa categories.
Contact Us
All visa interviews at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong are handled on an appointment basis only. Individuals seeking general information about U.S. visas or needing to schedule a visa appointment should visit Apply for a U.S. visa.
Telephone: English, Cantonese and Mandarin speaking customer service agents are ready to assist you 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The call center is closed weekends and Hong Kong holidays, as observed by the U.S. Consulate.
You may call 852 5808 4666 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) from Hong Kong & Macau.
You may call 1-703-665-1986 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) if you are in the United States.
Email: For general information about visas and routine inquiries, please write to support-hongkong@ustraveldocs.com.
For a specific case in which the applicant has been interviewed by a consular officer, A and G visa type, or concerning an immigrant visa case, please use Visa Inquiry Form.
Hours and Holidays
Hours of Operation
General Office Hours for the Consulate General
Monday – Friday 8:30 – 12:30 and 1:30 – 5:30
Rainy and Typhoon Season
Hong Kong’s rainy season is from late summer to autumn. If the Hong Kong Observatory announces a Black Rainstorm Warning or a Typhoon Signal 8, the Consulate General will close. Please see “Consular Services During the Rainy and Typhoon Season” for details.
Holiday Schedule for 2023
The following list includes all official holidays (both U.S. and Hong Kong) for 2023.
| Closure Date | U.S./Local Holiday |
|---|---|
| Monday, January 2, 2023 | The day following the first day of January (observed Sunday, January 1) (A/L) |
| Monday, January 16, 2023 | Martin Luther King’s Birthday (A) |
| Monday, January 23, 2023 | Second day New Year’s Day (L) |
| Tuesday, January 24, 2023 | Third day of Lunar New Year (L) |
| Wednesday, January 25, 2023 | Fourth day of Lunar New Year (L) |
| Monday, February 20, 2023 | President’s Day (A) |
| Wednesday, April 5, 2023 | Ching Ming Festival (L) |
| Friday, April 7, 2023 | Good Friday (L) |
| Monday, April 10, 2023 | Easter Monday (L) |
| Friday, May 26, 2023 | The Birthday of Buddha (L) |
| Monday, May 29, 2023 | Memorial Day (A) |
| Monday, June 19, 2023 | Juneteenth (A) |
| Thursday, June 22, 2023 | Tuen Ng Festival (L) |
| Tuesday, July 4, 2023 | Independence Day (A) |
| Monday, September 4, 2023 | Labor Day (A) |
| Monday, October 2, 2023 | The day following National Day (L) |
| Monday, October 9, 2023 | Columbus Day (A) |
| Monday, October 23, 2023 | Chung Yeung Festival (L) |
| Friday, November 10, 2023 | Veterans Day (Observed Saturday, November 11) (A) |
| Thursday, November 23, 2023 | Thanksgiving Day (A) |
| Monday, December 25, 2023 | Christmas Day (A/L) |
| Tuesday, December 26, 2023 | The first weekday after Christmas Day (L) |
A – American Holiday/L – Local Holiday
Notes: Three local holidays falling on Saturday are not included in the 2023 holiday schedule: The day following Good Friday, April 8, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day, July 1, and the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, September 30.
What to Expect When Visiting the Consulate General
All visa interviews at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong are handled on an appointment basis only. Please visit our web-based information system (Apply for a U.S. Visa) or make a free call to our call center service at 5808 4666 for assistance on visa applications. Visa applicants can book appointments through a convenient online system on this website, or by speaking with a call center agent.
An overview of the steps required to apply for a visa can be found here: Apply for a Visa
The Consulate is located at 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
How to get here
By taxi:
Asked to be dropped off at the St. John’s Building, 33 Garden Road. The Consulate is across the street and up the hill. The address of the St. John’s Building in Chinese script is 聖約翰大廈 花園道 33 號.
By MTR/Train:
Use Exit J2 (stairs only) or the platform elevator to exit Central station. From Exit J2, follow signs to the Peak Tram Station. The Consulate is across the street and up the hill from the Peak Tram Station.
If you exit Central MTR station via the elevator, you will come out facing Pedder Street. Follow Pedder Street south (right) to Des Voeux Road Central, and then follow Des Voeux Road Central east (left) to Garden Road. Follow Garden Road south (right) up the hill to the Consulate.
By bus:
Take routes 12, 12A, 12M, 13, 23, 23B, 40, 40M and 103. Get off at St. John’s Cathedral on Garden Road. The Consulate is up the hill two blocks and on the right.
Once you are here
Please follow the instructions below to the appropriate office. Please do not bring bundles or bags with you when you come to the Consulate. Please also be aware that food and cell phones are not permitted inside the building.
- The American Citizen Services located on the First Floor: All of our services are by appointment only. Please see American Citizen Services for more information.
- Immigrant Visa Unit
Located on the First Floor. Immigrant visa applications are processed by appointment only. Please see Immigrant Visas for further information. - Nonimmigrant Visa Unit
Located on the Ground Floor. Please see “Apply for a Visa” for more information.
Visitors may bring small, hand-carry items such as a purse or a small folder containing application documents. Please take note of the prohibited items that will not be allowed into the Consulate and may result in you missing your visa appointment.
Prohibited Items (NOTE: DO NOT bring to the Consulate. The Consulate cannot store these items. Visitors in possession of these items will be turned away from the Consular Section).
- Firearms/Edged weapons;
- Explosive devices;
- Flammable liquids;
- Any food or consumable. Drinking water is available;
- Other weapons/contraband;
- Any bags, such as travel bags, backpacks, suitcases, briefcases, or cloth bags. Applicants can only carry hand bags 12 x 10 x 3 inches (30 x 24 x 7.5 centimeters);
- Computers/accessories, including laptops;
- iPads and other tablet devices;
- Still/video cameras;
- Pocket knife with a blade of less than 2.5 inches;
- Other large electronic or electrical devices
Non-Dangerous Prohibited Items (Can be Retained at the Guard Checkpoint)
- Small electronic devices (cellular telephones, Smart phones, BlackBerry units, PDAs, Bluetooth devices etc.);
- iPods and MP3 players;
- Handheld gaming devices;
- Smartwatches;
- Wearable electronic fitness devices;
- USB/thumb drives;
- Recording devices (includes smart watches and other non-traditional devices);
- Other items deemed contraband by Consulate Regional Security Office
If you have items which are not permitted to bring into the Consulate, you may wish to store it to the Nearby Luggage Storage. The Consulate General does not vouch for the price or quality of service of any of the organisations. This list of suggestions is provided only as a convenience for those requesting services we are unable to provide.
Access to the Consulate is limited and generally only applicants are permitted to enter and be present during visa interviews. On a case-by-case basis, applicants may be accompanied by ONE non-applicant to assist the applicant during the visa application process if a special need is demonstrated. Please note: The Consulate has the right to refuse entry to any person.
- Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring one person to assist them if they are over 80 years of age, are a minor child, or are disabled and require assistance to complete the application process.
- Due to waiting room size, the large volume of applicants and the time required to screen consular clients, persons not meeting the criteria above will not be permitted to accompany an applicant. Drivers, friends, and extra relatives, including the relatives of interpreters, must wait outside or return to meet the applicant after the interview has been completed.
Visa Requirements for Domestic Employees
Personal or domestic servants who are accompanying or following an employer to the United States may be eligible for B-1 visas. This category of domestic employees includes, but is not limited to, cooks, butlers, chauffeurs, housemaids, valets, footmen, nannies, mothers’ helpers, gardeners, and paid companions.
Those accompanying or following to join an employer who is a foreign diplomat or government official may be eligible for an A-3 or G-5 visa, depending upon their employer’s visa status.
Applicants and employers can find the relevant visa requirements here: Domestic Employee Visa
Guam/CNMI Visa Waiver Program
Citizens of Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Kingdom do not need a visa or ESTA to visit both Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands because of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, though they must complete Form I-736 prior to travel. Chinese citizens also do not need a visa if they complete Form I-736 for temporary admission into the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information on the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, please see Official Site for Travelers Visiting Guam or CNMI: Apply for or Retrieve Form I-736 and Visa Waiver Program, then click for “What if I am traveling to Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands?”
