US Visa WatchB1 B2 Visa Family Appointment Process for Married Couples
The part that trips up almost every couple is this: the official group appointment request page says family members who want to interview together are not eligible for group appointment requests. Read it twice, because it sounds like a door slamming shut. You'd naturally go looking for one request, two names, one interview slot. The rule specifically rules that out.
Then you scroll through forums and find couples who applied as a pair and showed up at the same embassy window on the same September morning. So which is it?
Both. Once you see how those two things fit together, the whole process stops feeling like a trap. You don't get a family appointment. You get two appointments that fall on the same day, and you walk in together with one shared folder of paper. That's the plan.
B1/B2 visitor visa vs. spouse visa: why married couples usually apply on the visitor track
First, sort out a mix-up that turns up in nearly every related search. A B1/B2 visitor visa and a spouse visa (CR1 or IR1) are completely different paths, and mixing them up leads to months of wasted effort.
The B1/B2 is for a temporary visit. B1 covers business, B2 covers tourism, medical treatment, and visiting family. You're visiting, not moving, and you go home when the trip ends.
CR1 and IR1 are immigrant visas for the spouse of a US citizen. They end in a green card, take far longer, and use a totally different set of forms. If you're reading this, that's almost certainly not what you're doing.
Married couples apply on the visitor track when they're travelling together — a holiday, a wedding, a conference, visiting relatives. And here's the key point: you each apply as an individual. Marriage doesn't merge your applications into one.
Does a 'family appointment' exist? What the group appointment request rule actually says
No. There is no "family appointment" in the US visa booking system, not in the way couples hope.
What does exist is a group appointment request, and it's for groups. The rule states plainly that family members of a group applicant who want to schedule an interview appointment together aren't eligible for group appointment requests. That route is built for things like a company sending a team or an organised delegation.
So don't try to slip your spouse into a group request. It won't work, and it may slow you down.
What's left is the real answer: two separate appointments, same day, same consulate, ideally back-to-back times.
Can husband and wife attend the US visa interview together? Same-day slots vs. one joint interview
Same day, yes. One joint interview, no. Those two ideas get tangled up constantly, so pull them apart.
Couples do attend together in practice. One applicant describes going to a US Embassy appointment in September for a B1/B2 with his wife after applying as a couple. What that means is they were both there, both interviewed, on one trip to the building. Not one interview covering two people.
Each spouse's case stands on its own. The officer is deciding whether each person qualifies, and one of you could be approved while the other is refused. That's rare when your story and documents line up, but it's the reason there's no joint interview.
What you can actually do:
- Book both slots for the same day.
- Aim for consecutive times — 8:00 and 8:30, for example — so you enter the same queue.
- Arrive together and stay near each other through security.
- Carry one shared folder and hand over whatever each officer asks for.
Some posts let you mention at check-in that you're a married couple travelling together. Whether you end up at nearby windows is up to the staff that day. Expect to be handled as two individuals.
DS-160 when you're married: one form per person and keeping both forms consistent
Here's the rule that stumps people: each person needs their own DS-160. There's no family version, and you don't add your spouse as a dependent on yours.
So you fill out two forms. They don't need to match on everything — your jobs, salaries, and passport numbers are different because you're different people. But some answers have to line up:
- Travel dates and how long you're staying
- Where you'll stay in the US
- Who's paying for the trip
- Purpose of travel
- Your contact person or organisation in the US
If your form says two weeks and your spouse's says three months, that's a problem. If your spouse says a relative is paying and yours says you are, that's another one. Fill both out at the same time, side by side, with the itinerary in front of you.
Step-by-step: booking two B1/B2 appointments that land on the same day at the same consulate
Walk through it in order.
- Finish both DS-160s first. You'll need each confirmation number to book, so don't start booking until both are submitted.
- Create a profile for each applicant in the US visa online appointment system. You can't merge two people into one account.
- Pay the visa fee for each person. Two applicants means two payments.
- Open the calendar for both accounts at once. Two browser windows, one logged in as each person, same consulate.
- Grab the earliest pair of slots on the same day. Mornings tend to be calmer.
- Screenshot both confirmations. Phones get lost, and you'll want the details.
- If you can't find two slots on the same day, keep checking. Cancellations pop up constantly. The appointment results also list a US call centre number for help if you get stuck.
One warning: don't book one spouse on a Monday and the other on a Friday. That's two trips to the consulate, and a mismatch in your stories if the same officer sees you days apart.
Adding a spouse as a dependent in the appointment system: what works and what doesn't
This is the most common mistake, so plainly:
You cannot add a spouse as a dependent to your B1/B2 appointment. That dependent structure belongs to other visa categories and to family-based immigrant petitions — not to a visitor visa interview. If you're hunting for an "add family member" field on the booking screen, it won't do what you want.
What people usually mean by the question is "can my spouse come along on my booking?" No. They need their own appointment, their own DS-160, and their own fee.
The only thing genuinely shared is the trip itself — the itinerary, the hotel booking, the invitation letter. One set of documents, two people pointing at it.
What each spouse should bring on interview day (documents, confirmations, passport details)
Bring two of everything that matters: one folder each, plus a master copy of the shared paperwork.
Each person carries:
- Passport, valid well past your planned return
- DS-160 confirmation page
- Appointment confirmation page
- Payment receipt
- A photo that meets the current specs, just in case
Shared documents worth having in both folders:
- Travel itinerary, with return or onward tickets if you have them
- Hotel bookings or a letter from whoever you're staying with
- An invitation letter if you're visiting family or attending an event
- Bank statements and proof of income for both of you
- Employment letters, or business registration if you're self-employed
- Proof of home ties — property papers, a lease, school records, ongoing commitments that pull you back
Don't haul in a suitcase of paper. Officers rarely page through it all. But have it, and know where each item is. Also leave the electronics at home — most posts won't let phones past security.
The three things the consular officer is checking — and how a married couple proves them together
A consular officer interviews you to decide whether you qualify. The burden sits with you: you have to establish that you meet the requirements. For a B1/B2, that comes down to three things.
Purpose of travel. Why are you going, what will you do, when are you coming back? A two-week trip for your sister's graduation is a clear purpose. "Just to look around" isn't.
Financial readiness. Can you pay for this trip without working in the US? Bank statements, salary slips, a sponsor's letter if someone else is funding it. If a relative in the US is paying, say so honestly.
Home ties. What's waiting for you at home? A job, a business, a mortgage, kids in school, ageing parents. This is where couples can be strong together — you both have reasons to return, and those reasons reinforce each other.
The interview is short, usually a few minutes. Answer directly. Skip the memorised speech. And if your spouse is at the next window, don't lean over to coach — it reads badly.
How long family visitor visa approval takes, and why you won't find a fixed number
There's no fixed number of days, and anyone quoting one is guessing. Nothing in the official material puts a timeline on family visitor visa approval — it covers the interview and the qualification requirements, and stops there.
What actually drives timing:
- Your consulate's workload and how far out the calendar is booked
- Whether your case gets extra checks, which can add weeks
- How fast you can land a slot in the first place
Some people hear back the same day. Others wait. The only source worth trusting is your own embassy or consulate's stated processing times — check the page for the post handling your case, not a number from a forum thread.
The '90 day rule' for B1/B2: what it does and doesn't mean for your stay
People search this constantly, and the honest answer is that there's no clear 90-day rule for B1/B2 visas in the guidance available on this topic. The material covers the interview, the three qualifications, and the related questions about B1/B2 visa length of stay. It doesn't define a 90-day rule.
Don't build a trip around a number you read in a comment. If you want to know how long you can stay, check what your visa and your entry record say, and follow official guidance from the consulate handling your case.
Quick answers to the questions couples keep asking
How do we schedule a US visa appointment for family together?
Not through a group request — family members who want to interview together aren't eligible for that route. Each spouse books their own slot, and you aim for the same day at the same consulate.
Can a husband and wife go together for a US visa interview?
Yes, in the sense that you attend the same day and each gets interviewed. Couples describe exactly that. It isn't one joint interview, though — two appointments, one trip.
How many days will family visit visa approval take?
No fixed number. It depends on the consulate's workload and your case. Check your post's stated processing times.
What is the 90 day rule for a B1/B2 visa?
The available material doesn't define one. Don't treat a forum number as a rule — check official guidance for your case.
And the only step that really matters: head to your consulate's official appointment page, check what slots are open right now, and get both interviews booked before your travel dates creep up. Two profiles, two slots, same day, one folder of documents. That's the whole trick.