Canceling B2 interview appointment and impact on current ESTA status

United States (B1/B2)
1

Hi everyone. I applied for a B2 tourist visa a few months ago because I wanted to stay longer than the 90 days allowed under the Visa Waiver Program. However, due to a work conflict, I can no longer travel on those specific dates, and I cannot attend my scheduled interview next week at the embassy.

I am thinking of just canceling the appointment and the application for now. My concern is whether canceling a scheduled interview counts as a visa “refusal” or “denial” in the eyes of the US government. I still have a valid ESTA and might want to use it for a shorter trip later this year. Will canceling this B2 interview trigger an automatic revocation of my current ESTA or cause issues for future ones? I want to make sure I do this correctly to keep my record clean.

2

Realizing this is not about a visa refusal based on merit, but rather a procedural change, you should be fine. The Update: accurately canceling your appointment before the date is considered a withdrawal of the application, not an adjudication. A denial only happens if a consular officer interviews you and determines you are ineligible.

3

Has anyone actually confirmed the timeline for the system to update after a cancellation?

4

Logic check. Pushing to prod on what was said earlier: The critical variable is that no interview took place.

5

@bilohidy

Cancelling your B-2 interview does not count as a visa refusal or denial. It will not cancel or affect your ESTA, and you can still use ESTA later as long as you follow its rules and cancel the appointment properly.