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U.S. MISSION IN INDIA
EXPANDS INTERVIEW WAIVER PROGRAM
In March of 2012, the United States Mission to
India unveiled the Interview Waiver Program (IWP) which allows qualified
individuals to apply for additional classes of visas without being interviewed
in person by a U.S. consular officer.
Following the success of the IWP, as part of
continuing efforts to streamline the visa process, and to meet increased visa
demand in India, the U.S. Mission is pleased to announce an expansion of
the IWP. We expect this expansion to benefit thousands of visa applicants
in India.
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.
This initiative is one
of many steps the Department of State is taking to meet increased visa demand
in India. In 2011, consular officers in India processed nearly 700,000
nonimmigrant visa applications, an increase of more than 11 per cent over the
previous year.
Presently, applicants wait fewer than ten days
for visa interview appointments and spend less than one hour at U.S. consular
facilities in India.
In September 2012, the U.S. Diplomatic Mission
to India implemented a new visa processing system throughout India that further
standardizes procedures and simplifies fee payment and appointment scheduling
through a new website at www.ustraveldocs.com/in.
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