First check whether the OFC is held or confirmed
Look for a countdown, a prompt to choose a consular appointment, or a final appointment confirmation. A temporary OFC selection can appear in parts of the portal without representing a complete two-step booking.
If your workflow requires both appointments, the safest proof is a final confirmation listing both steps. Save that page after submission.
Why no consular appointments appear
- The selected OFC date may not have a compatible interview date available.
- Another applicant may have taken the remaining consular capacity.
- The portal request may be delayed, busy, or temporarily unable to return times.
- Your temporary hold may be close to expiring or may already have expired.
- The selected post or appointment type may not match the rest of the application.
What to do while the timer is active
Follow the portal's on-screen timer and instructions. Let each location request finish, avoid opening duplicate scheduling sessions, and do not rapidly refresh the page.
If no compatible interview is available, the temporary OFC selection may expire and return you to the beginning of the scheduling flow. Community reports most often describe a roughly 45-minute hold and associate SGA10-style errors in the consular calendar with that hold expiring, but the exact behavior can change — treat the timer in your own account as authoritative.
Protect an existing appointment
If you entered this flow through Reschedule Appointment, read every confirmation before submitting. Do not assume an old booking is cancelled or preserved based on another applicant's experience; portal rules and country limits can differ.
Review the rescheduling guide and capture your existing confirmation details before attempting a change.
If an error interrupts the flow
Record the code and current appointment state, then consult the US visa scheduling error guide. Contact official portal support if the system shows a partial appointment after the timer ends or prevents you from returning to your existing booking.
Key takeaways
- An OFC selection is not necessarily a complete booking when a consular appointment is also required.
- Use the portal's current timer rather than an unofficial universal hold duration.
- Avoid duplicate sessions and rapid refreshing while searching for the connected interview.
- Protect existing appointment details before entering a rescheduling flow.
- Escalate partial or inconsistent appointment states to official portal support.