US Announces Changes on Student Visa Renewal
The United States (US) has announced changes to the visa renewal process for nonimmigrants.
According to a statement issued by the US embassy on September 16, Kenyans asking for a renewal of a student, tourist, business, or crew visa would not be interviewed.
The embassy noted that the action was intended to address the backlog of Kenyans who have expressed concern over delays.
“As part of Ambassador Meg Whitman’s pledge to reduce the nonimmigrant visa interview appointment backlog, the United States Embassy in Nairobi announced today that it has expanded the Interview Waiver Program for nonimmigrant visas.”
An excerpt from the statement read, “Effective immediately, those applying for tourist/business (B1/B2), student (F, J, M), or crew visas (C1/D) categories may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview,.
Applicants must seek the same visa category to be eligible for this program.
"Your visa cannot have expired more than four years ago. Formerly, the limit was one year,” the US Embassy added.
On its website, the embassy acknowledged that many visa applicants in Kenya had paid the visa application processing cost and were awaiting visa appointment scheduling.
It added that it was working to reduce wait times in all visa categories as quickly and safely as possible and extended the validity of payment (known as the MRV fee) until September 30, 2023, allowing all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment to schedule and attend one with the already-paid fee.
According to the embassy, the current wait period for interview appointments for visiting (B1/B2) and student (F/J/M) visas is over eighteen months.
Visa appointment fees are non-refundable; thus, you should carefully evaluate the interview wait time while considering whether to seek an appointment.
The United States advises all visas and travel to the United States may be subject to additional limitations.
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It further stated that candidates who have been denied a nonimmigrant visa within the past year would not be offered an expedited appointment.
Due to the limited number of available appointments, the embassy only offered expedited appointments to applicants wishing to transfer the bodies of immediate family members who died in the United States, individuals needing urgent medical care overseas, and spouses and children of US citizens, among others.
The revisions came months after Kenyans resorted to social media to complain about the delays in visa processing, which prevented other Kenyans from traveling to the United States.
This occurred in the context of sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala’s travel delays to the United States for the World Championships in Oregon.
US Announces Changes on Student Visa Renewal
