US Embassy decided to expand interview waiver eligibility

Update 2: On March 11, 2021, the Travel.State.Gov under the Department of State announced the following: “Previously, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 24 months were eligible for an interview waiver.  The Secretary has temporarily extended the expiration period to 48 months. This policy is in effect until December 31, 2021. … Travelers are encouraged to review the website of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for detailed information on what services are currently available as well as eligibility information and instructions on applying for a visa without an interview.”

Update: On December 29, 2020, the Department of State extended this in-person interview waiver provision until March 31, 2021. Non-immigrant visa holders whose visa expiration dates have not passed 24 months and who are applying to renew a visa in the same visa category can be waived for the in-person interview requirement. Details can be found here.

Summary: Non-immigrant visa holders whose visa expired within 24 months are eligible for an interview waiver. This temporary expansion of the policy is in effect until December 31, 2020.

Some countries require F-1 or J-1 students to renew their visas every year. Or you simply didn’t renew the visa thinking you will be in the United States until you graduate. However, if you had to go back to your home country due to the pandemic, you might be concerned about scheduling a visa interview. Now thanks to the policy update, if you have an expired visa within two years and you need to simply renew it, you can do so without having a visa interview! In this blog post you will learn what is the interview waiver eligibility and what you need to prepare for the reentry to the U.S.

Contents

• US embassy and consulate update on interview waiver
• Prepare your travel as an F-1 or J-1 student

US embassy and consulate update on interview waiver

Before this temporary expansion of interview waiver eligibility, only students whose visa was expired within 12 months were eligible for an interview waiver. Given the situation where most of U.S. embassies have lots of backlogs and few interview slots are available to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission, Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, temporarily extended the expiration period to 24 months.

This visa waiver policy update is in effect until December 31, 2020. Therefore, if you are planning to travel to the United States to attend the school for Spring 2021 intake, make sure you apply for your visa renewal before the end of the year.

Secretary Pompeo, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification.  …
This policy is in effect until December 31, 2020. 

Expansion of Interview Waiver Eligibility

Prepare your travel as an F-1 or J-1 student

Travel.state.gov encourages students to reach out to their local US embassy for details regarding the instruction as to apply for a visa renewal without an interview. For example, US embassy in India now accepts drop box applications for F, J, H and L visa renewals. Drop box processing eligibility and location can be found on Document Drop-Off Locations web page.

Travelers are encouraged to review the website of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for detailed information on what services are currently available as well as eligibility information and instructions on applying for a visa without an interview. 

Expansion of Interview Waiver Eligibility

Consular sections across India are now accepting drop box applications for F,M,J, H, and L visa renewals at Visa Application Centers across India.  Please visit our website to determine whether you are eligible for drop box processing.  A list of drop-off locations is available on our website at: http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-loc-documentdropoff.asp#locations. 

US embassy & consulates in india, Visas page

Once you renewed your student visa, it is time to prepare for your travel to re-enter the United States. Click related blog posts below to see what documents you need to bring and to learn what if you forget to bring required documents.

Related blog post 1: 2020 Student visa reentry required documents
Related blog post 2: All about F1 immigration status; entry date, Form I-515A
Related blog post 3: CDC international travel guideline: Do I have to quarantine?

In this blog post, new policy update has been discussed. It doesn’t seem like the virus will be under the control in the near future. As it has changed how visa document like the form I-20 is issued, it might change visa application processing as well! SEVIS SAVVY will keep you informed regarding any update on visa, so make sure you follow us on social media (Instagram: @sevissavvy and Facebook @sevissavvy.fb) and subscribe to our newsletter. Hope you all receive the visa in a timely manner and have a safe travel!