The United States has as soon as extra improved the scope of its visa waiver program, in a bid to shorten the wait instances for visa appointments.
Travelers with “clearance received” or “department authorization” on their preceding visas can now use the interview waiver manner to follow for a new visa.
The US Embassy in India introduced the development on Twitter, “More correct information for U.S. visa renewals!” it said.
Applicants renewing any visa in the identical class within forty-eight months of expiration are eligible for an interview waiver.
The Department of State has additionally licensed consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for vacationers making use of F, H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, M, O, P, Q, and educational J visas who had been in the past issued any kind of visa if they are making use of for a visa in their use of nationality or residence.
This authorization does no longer observe for candidates who have a preceding refusal that used to be no longer consequently waived or overcome.
However, consular officers may also request an in-person interview if extra facts are required from applicants.
Applicants making use of the interview waiver technique need to permit up to three weeks from the time a passport has been conventional at the Visa Application Center till the passport is delivered or they are notified that the passport is equipped for pickup.
Last year, the US prolonged the waiver application till December 31, 2023, for
- Certain H-2 (temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers) applicants
- Certain students, professors, lookup scholars, nonpermanent scholars, or professionals (F, M, and educational J visa applicants)
- Certain brief people who have a person petition accredited by way of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visa applicants) who meet sure conditions, such as that they are making use of for a visa in their united states of nationality or residence.
Under these authorities, consular officers have the discretion to waive the visa interview requirement for sure first-time and renewing H-2 visa applicants, and for positive F, M, and tutorial J, and character petition-based H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q candidates who had been beforehand issued any kind of visa, and who have by no means been refused a visa except such refusal was once overcome or waived, and who have no obvious ineligibility or workable ineligibility; or for sure first-time F, M, and tutorial J, or person petition-based H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q candidates who are residents or nationals of a united states that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), supplied they have no obvious ineligibility or workable ineligibility and have before traveled to the United States the usage of an authorization received through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
The current wait times are
Delhi
Mumbai
Chennai
Kolkata
Hyderabad
