In a wave of recent announcements, the US embassy has announced the reintroduction of visa processing of the routine in-person B1/B2 visa appointments starting September 2022. The notice further announced that the appointments do not act as placeholder appointments.
Adding to this, the US embassy also announced that the consular officers now hold the authority to waive the in-person interview requirements for select visa categories through 31 December 2022.
The embassy revealed that the waiver will apply to travellers seeking F, H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, M, O, P, Q and academic J visas, who have been issued any type of visa previously and if they are applying for the visas in their respective countries.
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Further adding to the announcement, the US embassy emphasised that the authorisation does not apply to those who have received refusals that were not waived or overcome previously. Moreover, those applying for any visa renewal within 48 months of expiration continue to remain eligible for the interview waiver.
Reports have revealed that the appointment demand for visa categories remains high as a result of reduced staffing and other pandemic-related challenges. The embassy added that the wait times for many non-immigrant visa appointments can be lengthy as well.
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In the statement, the US embassy also stated that consular offices across India were “accepting a limited number of dropbox applications for renewals of H, L, C1/D, O, I, F, M and J visas” at the designated Visa Application Centers. For this, candidates will first need to determine whether they are eligible for the drop box processing and schedule an appointment accordingly. Candidates can do so by visiting the official website of the US Embassy.
Understanding the delay in scheduling visa appointments, the US embassy has promised to work diligently on restoring all routing visa operations quickly and safely. It further stated that the US Mission will be extending the validity of payments until 30 September 2023 for those who have been unable to schedule a visa appointment.
Source: LiveMint
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