An influx of United States’ visitors supporting their team for the Fifa Women’s World Cup may cause problems for some Kiwis wanting to get a visa to travel to the US, the US Embassy warns.
People planning to apply for visas were advised to do so early because officials will be unable to conduct interviews in July and August, during the tournament, the US Embassy and Consulate said.
However, ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) visa waiver documents would not be affected, the consulate said.
Consul General Sarah Nelson said the US Consulate was expecting a “huge number” of US visitors to New Zealand to watch the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
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The US national team is the defending champions and will be playing their group stage games in Aotearoa – two at Auckland’s Eden Park and one at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
“Whenever there is a large volume of international visitors, the unfortunate and inevitable reality is that a portion of those travellers end up needing consular assistance,” said Nelson.
“While our consular officers are attending to those urgent requests we won’t be able to conduct interviews and it will slow down visa processing.”
Daniel Fraser/Stuff
An expected influx of US visitors during the FIFA Women’s World Cup means US consular officers cannot conduct visa interviews in July and August. (File photo)
All visa categories that required an interview would be affected.
The interview waiver program, which allowed some applicants who reside in or are New Zealand citizens to apply for some visas without an interview, would remain operational but it might have delays, the embassy said.
Most New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa to go for a holiday in the US, except for filling in a compulsory ESTA travel document before they depart, and some visa categories do not require an interview.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
A ‘huge number’ of US citizens are expected to visit New Zealand during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July and August to watch their national side defend the title. (File photo)
The current wait time for an interview was five to six weeks, Nelson also said, and it would spike sharply as the World Cup approaches.
“I urge all travellers to check the requirements really, really carefully. If you do require a visa, please don’t get caught out–apply early.”
