If your visa expires, you have the chance to renew it through a similar procedure to the initial application process.
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If you had a US visa which expired, you can apply for US visa renewal. You will receive the same type of US visa again, provided you still fulfil the conditions.
You can apply for US visa renewal if:
When renewing your US visa, you will have to submit similar documents to your initial visa application:
Note: Although it is not exactly a visa requirement, it is highly recommended to get travel health insurance for any trips to the US, because of the high costs of medical care.
The process to renew a US visa is nearly the same as when you first applied for it. You have to:
Please note: Some aspects of the application procedure may differ in chronology depending on which country you are renewing your US visa. For example, for US visa renewal in the Philippines, you pay the fee first, then, you complete the application form and make an appointment, whereas in India you only pay the fee after scheduling an appointment.
The application form for US visas is called Form DS-160, and it is the same online form for all non-immigrant visas and US visa renewals. You can complete Form DS-160 through the Consular Electronic Application Center. You have to complete the application yourself, although someone may help you if you need help with the language. The application must be completed in English, using only English language characters.
When you complete the application, you will be redirected to a confirmation page. You should print this page and bring it with you to the interview and when you submit the documents. Basically, you need the confirmation page at any stage of the US visa renewal process.
In order to schedule an appointment with the US Embassy or Consulate in your country, you must visit their website. They should have their phone number listed along with instructions on how exactly you should proceed.
The US Department of State also has an online server for scheduling interviews (here). If you already registered there the first time you applied for a visa, you don’t have to re-register. Your log-in information is saved.
The procedure for scheduling an interview appointment can change depending on the country, however, so before anything, make sure you contact the Embassy and get all the relevant information. You can find a list of the US Embassies and Consulates around the world here.
Before you enter the US visa renewal interview and submit your completed application, you have to pay the US visa fee. This fee is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of your application, and you can pay it in one of the following methods:
The method of payment will depend on the country you are applying from. The timing of the payment will also depend on the country you are from. In some cases, you have to pay the fee before anything else because you need the fee receipt to complete the DS-160 application.
There are usually three options regarding document submission and the US visa renewal interview:
This means you may need two different appointments, one for documentation and the other for the interview. The US Embassy in your country should provide you with this information. Sometimes, when you renew a US visa, you don’t have to enter an interview.
After you submit your documents for visa renewal, you have to go to the US embassy and sit for an interview with a visa officer. They will ask you questions about your trip, the reason you are applying for the visa, as well as more personal information, such as your salary and relationships. They will ask you anything that will help them make a decision.
If you are applying for the renewal of a B-1/B-2, C-1/D, F, J, M, or O visa, you may qualify for the interview waiver. This means you simply submit the documents at the Embassy or Visa Application Center, and wait to be notified about the outcome.
Inquire with the Visa Application Center or the US Embassy about the possibility of an interview waiver.
The processing time for a US visa depends on the specific visa you’re applying for. It can take anywhere from a few days, to a few months. Another thing that affects visa processing time is the time of year when you apply (i.e. the Embassy’s workload), and whether or not you enter an interview.
Sometimes, the visa officers will inform you about the outcome of your application as soon as your visa interview ends. Other times, you go home after the interview and wait to be notified.
In most cases, you will receive a new visa with the same validity and conditions as your expired visa.
If your renewal application is denied, the US consular services will inform you about the reason for denial. Most often, applications for US visas are rejected because of incomplete documentation or because they are suspicious of the applicant’s intent in the US. When your US visa application is denied, you have the option to apply for an Ineligibility Waiver.