Embassy and Consulates Announce Increased Eligibility in Streamlined Procedures for Visa Renewals

March 9, 2012

The U.S. Mission in Russia is pleased to announce an expansion of our current no-interview visa application program as a part of President Obama’s Executive Order to substantially increase travel and tourism to the United States. Starting immediately, certain applicants who have previously been issued a visa that expired in the past 47 months will be eligible to renew their visa without an interview.

Currently, all applicants who are in possession of a visa that has expired in the last 11 months are eligible to apply for a renewal of their visa without an interview. Under the expanded program, applicants who are renewing a B1/B2 (tourist) or C1/D (crew or transit) visa that has expired within the last 47 months are eligible to apply for a new visa without an interview. Applicants who wish to renew any other type of visas that has expired in the past 11 months are still eligible to do so without an interview. Consular officers retain the authority to interview any applicant who they determine requires a personal appearance.

We hope that this initiative will simplify and speed up the non-immigrant visa process, and that eliminating interviews for these applicants will save them time and money and encourage them to choose the United States again as their tourism or business destination.

For further information on how to apply for a non-immigrant visa to visit the United States, please visit www.ustraveldocs.com/ru.