The U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, India announced the expansion of the visa interview waiver program. This will allow certain Non Immigrant Visa applicants seeking to renew a visa that expired within the last 48 months to obtain a Visa without an interview. The program streamlines processing for the following:
Under the current Interview Waiver Program, Indian visa applicants who are renewing visas that are still valid or expired within the past 48 months may submit their applications for consideration for streamlined processing, including waiver of a
personal interview, within the following visa categories:
- Business/ Tourism (B1 and/or B2);
- Dependent (J2, H4, L2)
- Transit (C) and/or Crew Member (D) – including C1/D.
- Children applying before their 7th birthday traveling on any visa class
- Applicants applying on or after their 80th birthday traveling on any visa class
Under the expanded program, the following Indian applicants may also be considered for streamlined processing:
• Children applying before their 14th birthday traveling on any visa class
• Students returning to attend the same school and same program
• Temporary workers on H1-B visas
• Temporary workers on Individual L1-A or Individual L1-B visas
The renewal application must be within the same classification as the previous visa. If the previous visa is annotated with the words “clearance received,” that applicant is not eligible for a waiver of a personal interview.
Not all applications will be accepted for streamlined processing. As always, consular officers may interview any visa applicant in any category. Applicants who are renewing their visas may still need to make an appointment for biometrics (fingerprint and photograph) collection, and all applicants must submit all required fees and the DS-160 application form.