Renew My Nonimmigrant Visa
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Overview
Most applicants applying to renew their visa do not require an interview with the consular officer. Most of these applicants will still need an appointment at the Visa Service Center.
How to qualify for a visa renewal?
The Consular Section accepts renewal applications for many visas without requiring a personal interview. To qualify for a visa renewal:
- You must be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the Dominican Republic.
- You must be renewing a visa in the same classification.
- The visa you are renewing must be a multiple entry full-validity visa.
- The visa you are renewing must either still be valid or expired less than 48 months ago.
Please note that you are not eligible for the visa renewal if you have had any visa application denied since your last visa application, or if the visa you are renewing was lost or stolen.
When you create a profile to schedule a visa appointment, you will be asked as a series of questions to determine whether you are eligible for the interview waiver or mail-in renewal of your visa. Your eligibility for different services will be determined automatically based on your answers to these questions.
Qualifying Visas:
- All nonimmigrant visas in classes other than E that are valid or expired less than 48 months ago.
- All applicants 80 years or over are eligible for mail-in service via Mail Boxes, Etc. All other applicants will need to schedule a VAC appointment to be fingerprinted and photographed. However, most will not require an interview at the Embassy. Note: Children of the age 13 or under do not need to attend the VAC appointment, however the parents must bring a 2X2” (50 mm by 50 mm) photograph with white background to the VAC appointment. Please see photograph requirements here: : https://www.ustraveldocs.com/do/do-niv-photoinfo.asp
- Applicants who are eligible for mail-in service or interview waiver can still schedule an interview at the Embassy if they wish.
- If you are renewing in accordance with the above requirements, your interview with the consular officer will be waived, and your application will be evaluated internally. If during the evaluation of your application the consular officer needs more information to determine your eligibility, you may be asked to attend an in-person interview.
- To schedule an appointment for a visa renewal, follow the steps located in the Make an Appointment section.
It is important to know that your visa may still be valid if the passport it is in expires. You can travel to the United States with your old passport containing a valid visa and your new, valid passport.
Present All Your Passports at the Interview
If you are renewing your visa, please remember to bring all your current and expired passports covering the entire time period that your visa was valid. Applicants with double nationality should present passports for both countries. It’s important that you present all your passports when you apply for your visa renewal so that the consular officer can review your travel patterns for the complete time period that you held the visa. If you do not present all requested passports, you could be required to complete a personal interview in order to decide your case.
If you are a legal permanent resident in the Dominican Republic
Please bring a copy of your residency card to the VAC appointment.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
If you are renewing your visa and do not require an appointment at the US Embassy, please be aware that your application will be processed and your passport returned in approximately 14 business days.
You should not renew your visa without an appointment at the US Embassy if:
· you have required a waiver to receive a visa in the past.
· you believe that you may have a visa ineligibility.
· you have urgent travel planned in the next 14 days.
If these circumstances apply to you, you should proceed to schedule two appointments, one at the Visa Application Center and one at the US Embassy.