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Typically, applying for a visa for the USA is not that easy and, above all, time-consuming. But with the so-called Interview Waiver Program or Visa Reissuance Program, certain applicants have the opportunity to renew their visa conveniently by mail instead of in a personal interview at the US consulate.
As part of the Interview Waiver Program certain applicants can, under precisely defined conditions
This means that, in exceptional cases, the visa can be sent in by post and without interview so that you do not have to appear in person at the US consular section.
Until the introduction of this regulation, all visa applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 had to appear in person at the US consulate or US embassy without exception.
The Interview Waiver Program is also known as Visa Reissuance Program or Visa Renewal Program.
The exemption from the interview requirement for certain visa categories helps to reduce the workload of consular staff and normalize the appointment situation.
The US consulates worldwide can decide for which applicants they offer the interview exemption and whether a personal interview is still required in individual cases. This means that applicants who use the postal procedure can be invited for an interview by the US consulate at a later date if required.
Furthermore, the use of the Interview Waiver Program does not, of course, automatically guarantee the receipt of the US visa. Check the website of the relevant US embassy or US consulate for information on the respective procedure, the appointment situation and the guidelines for your visa application.
There are three groups of applicants who qualify for the postal submission procedure under certain conditions:
Age exemption:
Depending on the visa category and the US consulate or US embassy, further conditions may apply.
Until 2025, it was possible for a large number of non-immigrant visas to bypass the consular interview by sending in the documents by post.
The regulation on applying for certain US visa categories by post instead of appearing at the US consulate for an interview was extremely limited by the Department of State on February 18, 2025so that only a few applicants still qualify for the Interview Waiver Program.
Most important change: Only persons who "renew" the same visa category, i.e. reapply, are eligible, provided the previous US visa has not expired for more than 12 months.
Previously, 48 months applied and first-time applicants could also apply for their US visa by post under certain conditions.
Originally, the expansion of the Interview Waiver Program was intended to relieve the burden on US consulates worldwide and help ease the appointment situation. The current restrictions may again lead to longer waiting times for available interview appointments or exacerbate the situation at US consulates, where waiting times are already very long.
First of all, it is important to know that there is no standardized application procedure for the Interview Waiver Program at US consular missions worldwide. You should therefore find out about the requirements and individual processes of the mail-in procedure in your country of application in good time before applying for a visa.
Applicants should be available to the US consulate during the application process for further questions or a (possible) subsequent invitation to a personal appointment.
As part of the changeover to a new booking system and new visa profiles, the Interview Waiver Navigator was implemented for the first time for the German US consulates (Berlin, Frankfurt / Main, Munich). The IWP Navigator is available in both German and English.
The most important new feature is that applicants must now send an e-mail to the US consulate in advance, which must contain certain information and application documents.
Those who wish to take advantage of the Interview Waiver Program at the US consulates in Germany must now proceed as follows to submit their visa application documents:
In the German US consulates or the US embassy, the processing times for the postal submission procedure are around 2 to 4 weeks - from sending the application documents to the US consulate / US embassy to returning the passport including the US visa to the applicant.
The processing times in other countries may differ from this.
We advise you on the choice of the appropriate visa category and take over the complete processing for you or your company.
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