Steps to get US Visa Renewed

 

What is a U.S. Visa?

 

Any individual who is a citizen of a foreign country and wishes to seek entry into the United States needs to first get a US visa which is stamped in the individual’s passport.

 

However, certain individuals might be permitted to arrive in the US without a visa but that is only if they meet the criteria and requirements for on-arrival entry.

 

How to get a US visa renewed?

 

Renewal of US visa means you need to go through the whole visa application process as per the requirements stated by the US government. It is the same even for applying for a new visa and if your visa is still valid. But in some cases, like for non-immigrant renewals, you may not be required to give an interview again.

 

The following steps are used for the visa renewal process (non-immigrant US visa):

 

  • STEP 1-  Apply online and fill the DS-160 form which is the Non-immigrant Visa Electronic Application. Once done filling in the form, print it and save the confirmation page along with the bar code.

 

  • STEP 2- Your next step would be to register yourself an account on the US Embassy’s secure portal. You will have to read, answer carefully, and follow the steps correctly to get an appointment for an interview. If your answer is ‘YES’ to all the points on the interview waiver checklist, you stand a chance of getting your interview waived off. This is most likely to happen if your previous visa class matches the same one you’re applying for, your visa which you recently issued was in India and you received it after 2008 among others. Another reason you stand a chance of your interview getting waivered off is if you are below 14years or above 80years of age.

 

  • STEP 3– Next is to make the payment for the visa fee. They will ask you to do it online from a bank account. The fee amount will depend on the visa category you are applying for.

 

  • STEP 4– If your interview is waived off, you will then receive a submission letter along with a document checklist. Print the appointment letter and along with your passport, the appointment letter, DS-160, and a photo clicked within the last 6months, you will have to drop it off at any one of the 11 service centers in India on that date scheduled for you anytime between 10 am-4 pm.

 

US Visa Renewal after Expiry.

 

You can easily renew your US visa even after it expires. Also, there is no need to wait. You can do it even when your current visa is still valid. You can apply for a new visa but make sure to check if it is valid at the time, you are entering the US. Sometimes, you will be called for an interview at the Consulate in cases like if you submit an inaccurate or incomplete application. In the case of an interview, you need to appear at the post where your application was submitted. There are chances that a visa interview will be necessary. Hence, it is a must to submit your application well in advance in terms of your planned travel.

 

Processing time for US Visa Renewal?

It takes around 7-10 business days to renew the visa from the date of document submission.

 

US Visa Renewal Fees

Since the cost is the same as the application for a new one, the cost for a non-immigrant visa is 164 USD. However, the charges vary for different categories of visa types. The price will be mentioned at the time of payment. If your application gets rejected, the visa application fee must be paid and the fee is entirely non-refundable and non-transferable.

 

According to the RBI rules, all Indian banks are closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, and that will affect the US visa fee payment system.

 

There are drop box facilities to drop off for renewals of non-immigrant visa categories at different centers across India. A list of drop-off locations is available on the website. Also, US student visa appointments are available on the website.

Post Covid-19 the entire visa process has started but due to the backlogs availability of the appointments period is longer compared to earlier. For new US visa the current available dates are August 2024. Whereas for the renewals the waiting period is very less.

 

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