The eligibility period for non-immigrant visa renewals will now be 48 months, as announced by the United States government.In a statement released on Friday, the US Mission stated that applicants who had a previous US visa that had expired within the previous 48 months or would expire in the next three months may now be eligible to renew their visa without having to undergo an interview.
It also said that it would open up thousands of appointments for visa renewals to help people who want to renew their visas.
It said: “The US Mission is expanding the eligibility period for non-immigrant visa renewals from 24 months to 48 months
“You may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview if your application is for a B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L or C1/D (combined only) visa, and you meet each of the following criteria:
“Your previous visa was issued in Nigeria.
Your previous visa is in the same classification as your current application.
“Your previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa. Your previous visa expired within the last 48 months or will expire in the next 3 months from the date of application.
“You have all your passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa.
“You have never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the United States, even if you later received a waiver or pardon.
“You have never worked without authorization or remained beyond your permitted time in the United States.”
According to THISDAY, The US mission explained that applicants won’t be able to get their passports back for up to two months while the program is being processed.
