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The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s [[Bureau of Consular Affairs]] under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants. The program has basis in the guidelines provided in the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5.<ref name=fam-9-403-5>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> As of December 2022, some of the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program were extended to December 31, 2023 (this is in addition to the cases that have no set expiration, that are expected to continue beyond December 31, 2023).<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023>{{cite web|url = https://www.state.gov/extension-of-interview-waivers-for-certain-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants/|title = Extension of Interview Waivers for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants|date = December 23, 2022|accessdate = October 11, 2023|publisher = U.S. Department of State}}</ref><ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

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The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants.<ref name=fam-9>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=guyana>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/guyana/19452/pdfs/ASK151-InterviewWaiverProgram.pdf|title = Ask the Consul Installment 151: Interview Waiver Program (IWP)|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America, Georgetown, Guyana|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=tashkent>{{cite web|url = https://uz.usembassy.gov/visas/non-immigrant-visas/nonimmigrant-visas-tourism-visit/interview-waiver-program/|title = Interview Waiver Program|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=matamoros>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/matamoros/231771/PDFs/interview%20waiver%20program.pdf|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = Matamoros Consulate General}}</ref><ref name=uk-embassy>{{cite web|url = https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-reissuance-program/overview-2/|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=jakarta-video>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP1rkryQZZM|title = Renewing Your Visa Using the Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy Jakarta|date = March 4, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref>

An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]] asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the [[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952|INA]], 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref>

Applicants qualifying for interview waivers generally need to submit their passport along with various documentation to the US embassy or consulate processing their case. In some jurisdictions, the location that applicants submit the passport and documentation is called a "dropbox" location, and the terms "dropbox" or "dropbox appointment" may be used instead of "interview waiver" in some contexts.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/lk/lk-niv-visarenew.asp|title = Interview Waiver & Visa Renewal (Sri Lanka)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-niv-typej.asp|title = Exchange Visitor Visa (Vietnam)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://visagrader.com/trackers/us-drop-box-visa-appointments|title = US Visa Dropbox Appointment Experiences Tracker|publisher = Visa Grader|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>

== Conditions for the Interview Waiver Program ==

== Guidance for the Interview Waiver Program provided in the Foreign Affairs Manual (as of 2023) ==

According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of these four conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public.<ref name=fam-9/>

According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may choose to waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of the below conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public. The guidance offers considerable leeway for consulates and consular officers regarding whether to grant interview waivers; it only provides a set of necessary conditions that must be satisfied in order to grant an interview waiver.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

=== Background regarding "time of application" versus time of adjudication ===

Not all embassies and consulates need to implement all the waiver criteria of the IWP. In particular, some consulates may implement the IWP for only a subset of the criteria, and may impose additional criteria. For instance, the embassy in Georgetown, Guyana has implemented the IWP only for the B-1/B-2, C-1/C2, and D visa types.<ref name=guyana/> Similarly, the consulate in [[Matamoros, Coahuila|Matamoros]], [[Mexico]] has set the age threshold for the age-based interview waiver for children at 7 years instead of 14 years.<ref name=matamoros/>

Some of the provisions of the Interview Waiver Program refer to an absolute time limit (December 31, 2023 for some of the cases below). Other provisions refer to relative time since expiration of a previous visa (48 months for some of the cases below). The "time of application" that is used for both absolute time limits and relative time calculations is the time that the visa application is submitted with payment of visa fee. This is clarified in 9 FAM 403.2-3 Definition of "Making a Visa Application":<ref name=fam-9-403-2>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040302.html|title = 9 FAM 403.2 NIV APPLICATION (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>

=== Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)) ===

{{blockquote|a. For an NIV applicant, "making a visa application" requires the applicant to complete three components:

If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9/><ref name=tashkent/>

(1) Complete and submit a Form DS-160 for formal adjudication by a consular officer, signed electronically by clicking the box designated "Sign Application" in the certification section of the application;

(2) Pay the required application fee (also known as the MRV application fee) or provide evidence of prior payment of the application processing fee, unless the applicant is exempt from paying the MRV fee (see 9 FAM 403.4-3); and

(3) Provide all required biometric data. Biometric data is not complete until a photograph has been submitted and fingerprints, if required, have been collected. Fingerprints that have been collected by a locally employed staff member or collected off-site by a contractor meet this standard, even if they have not yet been verified by a cleared American.

b. Applicants who have submitted a photograph and who have ten fingerprints on file from a previous application have provided all required biometric data. Applicants who have two fingerprints on file from a previous application, and who have been ten-printed by a contractor for verification via IDENT, have supplied the required biometric information.}}

The scheduling of the appointment for the visa interview or document drop-off (the latter in case of an interview waiver) may be done later, within a prescribed time limit, and the actual appointment itself may be even later. For instance, in the case of India, the visa appointment or document drop-off appointment must be scheduled within 365 days of the visa application and fee payment, though the date it is scheduled ''for'' may be farther out than 365 days.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/|title = Visas|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> In particular, the time of visa interview or document drop-off and time of subsequent adjudication steps need not be by December 31, 2023, and need not fall within the 48-month time limit, in order for the interview waiver criteria to be satisfied.

=== Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-2) ===

If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

* under 14 years of age; or

* under 14 years of age; or

* over 79 years of age

* over 79 years of age

=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials 9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(2)) ===

=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(1)) ===

Interviews may be waived for ''either'' of the following visa types:<ref name=fam-9/>

Interviews may be waived for any of the following visa types, all of which bear some relations to government officials or diplomats:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

* [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members

* Any of the following:

** [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members

* [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff

** [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff

* [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver)

* [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members

** [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver)

* [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization)

** [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members

** [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization)

* [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa)

** [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa)

* [[G-4 visa]]

** [[G-4 visa]]

* [[NATO-1 visa]]

** [[NATO-1 visa]]

* NATO-2 visa

** NATO-2 visa

* NATO-3 visa

** NATO-3 visa

* NATO-4 visa

** NATO-4 visa

* NATO-5 visa

** NATO-5 visa

* NATO-6 visa

** NATO-6 visa

* TECRO [[E-1 visa]]

** TECRO [[E-1 visa]]

* Any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively.

=== Interview waiver for renewals (within one year or 12-48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(3)) ===

=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(2)) ===

Interviews may be waived for any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively.

Interview waivers can be used in cases of people reapplying for the same visa class that they previously held, if ''either'' of the following two cases apply and none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply:<ref name=fam-9/>

=== Interview waiver for renewals (within 48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(3)) ===

* '''Renewals within one year''': An interview may be waived for an applicant applying for renewing a visa that is still valid or expired less than a year ago, if the applicant is seeking renewal of the visa in the same classification (same visa class and same category (principal or derivative)). For instance, an F-1 visa holder can get an interview waiver for a F-1 visa, but a F-2 visa holder cannot. Any biometric requirements must have been met when issuing the previous visa, or fulfilled separately to qualify for the interview waiver. Note that F, J, and M visa holders have to satisfy additional requirements as noted after the bullet points.

* '''Renewal 12–48 months after expiry''': All the following conditions must be satisfied:

** The visa must ''not'' be in the following categories: E visa, H visa, L visa, P visa, and R visa (note that F, J, and M visas have slightly different rules, as detailed after the bullet points).

** The visa is being renewed between 12 and 48 months after the prior visa's expiration date.

** The applicant must be a national or resident of the country in which he or she is applying for the visa

** The applicant has met all biometric requirements

Interview waivers can be used if ''all'' these conditions hold:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

'''Renewals for student and exchange visitor visas''': Student and exchange visitor visas ([[F visa|F]], [[J-1 visa|J]], and [[M-1 visa|M]]) can be renewed using either of the above two methods but need to satisfy ''both'' these conditions:

* For F and M, either the program or the institution, or both, must be the same as for the original visa. For J visas, the SEVIS number must remain the same in order for the interview to be waived.

* The applicant must be in status according to SEVIS, and, in case of any discrepancies between the current and previous visa applications, or for any other reason, an interview may be requested.

* The applicant is renewing a nonimmigrant visa of the same classification within 48 months of the expiry of the previous visa. Both the visa classification and the category of applicant within that visa class (principal or derivative) should match up. The 48 months applies to the time the visa application is made; the adjudication may happen a little later.

=== Interview waiver for Argentines and Brazilians (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(4)) ===

* The applicant is applying in the consular district of their normal residence, unless otherwise prescribed in regulations that require an applicant to apply for a visa in the country of which such applicant is a national.

* In the case of F, M, and J applicants, the applicant's SEVIS record must indicate an "initial" or "active" status.

=== Interview waiver for H-2A and H-2B applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(4)) ===

If none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply, an interview may be waived for a first-time Argentine or Brazilian visa applicant in a visa class other than E, H, L, P, or R if ''both'' the following conditions apply:<ref name=fam-9/>

* The applicant is a first-time Argentine or Brazilian nonimmigrant visa applicant who is younger than 16 or 66 and older

* The applicant is applying in the consular district of his or her normal residence.

A wider range of cases is eligible for interview waivers until December 31, 2023; ''any'' of the below cases is eligible for an interview waiver:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

=== Conditions in which personal appearance may not be waived (9 FAM 403.5-6) ===

* First-time H-2 applicants with no associated derogatory information

Personal appearance may be waived for candidates who have been selected for interview based on randomization. There could be other reasons such as a past visa rejection, annotation of "Clearance Received" on the most recently issued visa, criminal record, history of immigration violations, or other red flags.<ref name=uk-embassy/> However, the full list of reasons is not made publicly available in the ''Foreign Affairs Manual''.<ref name=fam-9/>

* First-time H-2 applicants with potential derogatory information that the officer can exclude as not rising to the level of an ineligibility without requiring the applicant appear for an interview

* Applicants for an H-2 NIV submitted within 48 months of the expiration of a previous NIV in any classification

=== Interview waiver for F, M, and J applicants (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(5)) ===

Either of these is eligible for interview waivers:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

* Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility

* First-time F, M, and academic J NIV applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; and who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility

=== Interview waiver for individual petition-based H, L, O, P, and Q applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(6)) ===

Until December 31, 2023, an applicant for an H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, O, P, or Q NIV in one of the following categories:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

* Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility

* First-time individual petition-based H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility

=== Interview waiver by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) ===

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is necessary due to unusual or emergent circumstances. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

=== Interview waiver by the Secretary of State (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) ===

The Secretary of State may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>

== Implementation ==

== Implementation ==

The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. If they meet the conditions for an interview waiver, then instead of asking to schedule a visa interview appointment, the online interface will provide information or require an appointment to drop off the materials and collect biometric information.<ref name=matamoros/>

The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online on the Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center website, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. After submitting Form DS-160, the applicant may then use the Form DS-160 confirmation number to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the consulate. As of 2023, the website through which nonimmigrant visa applications for US consulates can be done electronically is ustraveldocs.com.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/|title = USTravelDocs|accessdate = October 11, 2023}}</ref> The visa application process on this site includes a bunch of questions for the applicant, and based on the applicant's answers to the questions, the application informs the applicant whether he or she may be eligible for an interview waiver; even if eligible for the interview waiver, the applicant still has the option of choosing to schedule an interview.

== History ==

== History ==

=== Rollout ===

=== Rollout from 2011 to 2016 under the Obama administration ===

The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided.

The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011 under the administration of then-United States President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided.

The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and its scope in India was expanded in November 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref>

The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and was expanded in November 2012 to cover more categories.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/u-s-consulates-in-india-implement-new-system-aimed-at-rationalizing-nonimmigrant-visa-application-process/|title = U.S. Consulates in India Implement New System Aimed at Rationalizing Nonimmigrant Visa Application Process|last = Merrills|first = Andrew|last2 = Smalley|first2 = Stephen|publisher = Ogletree Deakins}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/expansion-of-the-interview-waiver-program-at-u-s-embassies-and-consulates-in-india/|title = Expansion of the Interview Waiver Program at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in India|last = Smalley|first = Stephen|last2 = Merrills|first2 = Andrew|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://immigrationview.foxrothschild.com/consular-issues/interview-waiver-program-iwp-expanded-in-india/|title = Interview Waiver Program (IWP) Expanded in India|date = November 21, 2012|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Immigration View}}</ref>

The Interview Waiver Program became permanent in January 2014.<ref name=bond-statement/>

The Interview Waiver Program became permanent in January 2014.<ref name=bond-statement/>

In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref>

In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs [[Michele Thoren Bond]] talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/0F0AFD39-7352-4122-B384-8B33D003A011|title = Written Statement of Michele T. Bond, Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Department of State: Hearing on Travel Facitation|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>

=== Suspension by Donald Trump after becoming United States President in January 2017 ===

An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref>

At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs;<ref name=bond-statement-removed>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref> however, a copy remains on the website of the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]].<ref name=bond-statement/>

=== Reinstatement in limited form in July 2017; further developments under the Trump administration===

In July 2017, the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated with new guidance on the criteria for interview waivers; the new criteria were significantly more restrictive than the criteria prior to Trump's executive order. Specifically, interview waivers were still possible based on age (less than 14 years or more than 79 years), diplomatic nature of visa, and visa expiration within the last 12 months. However, the previously allowed interview waivers for visas expired between 12 and 48 months prior were no longer allowed.<ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy>{{cite web|url = https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/MPI_US-Immigration-Trump-Presidency-Final.pdf|title = Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency|publisher = Migration Policy Institute|last = Pierce|first = Sarah|last2 = Bolter|first2 = Jessica|date = July 1, 2020|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|87}}<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170728232427/https:/fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual; version as of July 28, 2017)|date = July 28, 2017|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]}}</ref>

On May 14, 2019, the Interview Waiver Program was suspended for all visa renewals in [[Nigeria]] (waivers for diplomatic visas would still be allowed); this suspension happened one month after news that the Trump administration has been considering new immigration measures to impose visa restrictions on countries whose citizens have a track record of overstaying beyond the validity of their short-term US visas.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://qz.com/africa/1618935/us-cancels-dropbox-visa-interview-waiver-in-nigeria|title = The Trump administration just made its first move in a clampdown on US visas for Nigerians|last = Kazeem|first = Yomi|date = May 14, 2019|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Quartz}}</ref><ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy/>{{rp|87}}

=== Return to Obama-era state under the Biden administration; further expansion ===

In November 2015, the IWP was expanded in India to cover people with [[H-1B visa]]s whose employer had changed.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Expansion of Visa Interview Waiver Program|date = November 13, 2015|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Murthy Law Firm}}</ref>

In the wake of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the administration of President [[Joe Biden]], upon coming to power on January 20, 2021, received feedback to return the Interview Waiver Program to its Obama-era state, specifically, by allowing for interview waivers in the case of renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.presidentsalliance.org/letter-to-secretary-of-state-blinken-on-international-students/|title = Letter to Secretary of State Blinken on International Students|publisher = Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration|date = February 1, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>

IWP was still being rolled out to additional countries as of 2016.<ref name=algeria>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/algeria/401501/pdf2016/2016-04-10_Visa_Interview_Waiver_Program_EN.pdf|title = Visa Interview Program Launched!|date = April 11, 2016|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America in Algiera, Algeria}}</ref>

In March 2021, the Biden administration incorporated the feedback and temporarily expanded the Interview Waiver Program to cover visa renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year); the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated to reflect this. The increase to 48 months was only effective till December 31, 2021. A special temporary set of interview waiver criteria for H-2 applicants, also available only till December 31, 2021, was introduced.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210318001952/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 18, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The change was implemented by several U.S. embassies and consulates shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ec.usembassy.gov/united-states-announces-increased-b1-b2-visa-validity-for-ecuadorians/|title = United States Announces Increased B1/B2 Visa Validity for Ecuadorians|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Ecuador|date = March 26, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=794698051171023|title = Consular Officer Melissa Sandoval told the media today that the Embassy’s Interview Waiver Program has been expanded. Sandoval explains that if your US visa expired in the last four years, you can apply in the same visa category.|date = March 23, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> There were minor modifications to the language through 2021.

=== Suspension ===

In early 2022, the Interview Waiver Program was extended and expanded, with the sunset date being removed entirely for the ability to use an interview waiver for visa renewals within 48 months of expiry (the previous sunset date was December 31, 2021), and the sunset date for the temporary H-2 provisions being extended to December 31, 2022 (from December 31, 2021). In addition, two new cases were made eligible for the interview waiver: applicants for some visa categories who had previously issued any type of visa (until December 31, 2022), and some first-time applicants, specifically those from Visa Waiver Program countries who satisfied some criteria.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2022/01/flash-alert-2022-001.html|title = United States –Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Expanded, Extended Through 2022|date = January 5, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = KPMG}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220209024935/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = February 9, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The expansion to first-time applicants from Visa Waiver Program countries had been mentioned in the June 2014 remarks by [[Michele Thoren Bond]] in the hearing on travel facilitation as an example of a potential future expansion of the Interview Waiver Program.<ref name=bond-statement/>

An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz/><ref name=cnn/> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref>

In December 2022, the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program, that were originally set to expire on December 31, 2022, were extended to December 31, 2023. Explicit exclusion of Nigeria from eligibility for some interview waiver categories was also removed around this time.<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230316101538/https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 16, 2023|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>

At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs.<ref name=bond-statement/>

== References ==

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'{{Blacklisted-links|1= *https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/ *:''Triggered by <code>\bmurthy\.com\b</code> on the local blacklist''|bot=Cyberbot II|invisible=false}} The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants.<ref name=fam-9>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=guyana>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/guyana/19452/pdfs/ASK151-InterviewWaiverProgram.pdf|title = Ask the Consul Installment 151: Interview Waiver Program (IWP)|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America, Georgetown, Guyana|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=tashkent>{{cite web|url = https://uz.usembassy.gov/visas/non-immigrant-visas/nonimmigrant-visas-tourism-visit/interview-waiver-program/|title = Interview Waiver Program|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=matamoros>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/matamoros/231771/PDFs/interview%20waiver%20program.pdf|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = Matamoros Consulate General}}</ref><ref name=uk-embassy>{{cite web|url = https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-reissuance-program/overview-2/|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=jakarta-video>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP1rkryQZZM|title = Renewing Your Visa Using the Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy Jakarta|date = March 4, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]] asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the [[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952|INA]], 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> == Conditions for the Interview Waiver Program == According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of these four conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public.<ref name=fam-9/> Not all embassies and consulates need to implement all the waiver criteria of the IWP. In particular, some consulates may implement the IWP for only a subset of the criteria, and may impose additional criteria. For instance, the embassy in Georgetown, Guyana has implemented the IWP only for the B-1/B-2, C-1/C2, and D visa types.<ref name=guyana/> Similarly, the consulate in [[Matamoros, Coahuila|Matamoros]], [[Mexico]] has set the age threshold for the age-based interview waiver for children at 7 years instead of 14 years.<ref name=matamoros/> === Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)) === If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9/><ref name=tashkent/> * under 14 years of age; or * over 79 years of age === Interview waiver for diplomats or officials 9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(2)) === Interviews may be waived for ''either'' of the following visa types:<ref name=fam-9/> * Any of the following: ** [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members ** [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff ** [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver) ** [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members ** [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization) ** [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa) ** [[G-4 visa]] ** [[NATO-1 visa]] ** NATO-2 visa ** NATO-3 visa ** NATO-4 visa ** NATO-5 visa ** NATO-6 visa ** TECRO [[E-1 visa]] * Any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively. === Interview waiver for renewals (within one year or 12-48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(3)) === Interview waivers can be used in cases of people reapplying for the same visa class that they previously held, if ''either'' of the following two cases apply and none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply:<ref name=fam-9/> * '''Renewals within one year''': An interview may be waived for an applicant applying for renewing a visa that is still valid or expired less than a year ago, if the applicant is seeking renewal of the visa in the same classification (same visa class and same category (principal or derivative)). For instance, an F-1 visa holder can get an interview waiver for a F-1 visa, but a F-2 visa holder cannot. Any biometric requirements must have been met when issuing the previous visa, or fulfilled separately to qualify for the interview waiver. Note that F, J, and M visa holders have to satisfy additional requirements as noted after the bullet points. * '''Renewal 12–48 months after expiry''': All the following conditions must be satisfied: ** The visa must ''not'' be in the following categories: E visa, H visa, L visa, P visa, and R visa (note that F, J, and M visas have slightly different rules, as detailed after the bullet points). ** The visa is being renewed between 12 and 48 months after the prior visa's expiration date. ** The applicant must be a national or resident of the country in which he or she is applying for the visa ** The applicant has met all biometric requirements '''Renewals for student and exchange visitor visas''': Student and exchange visitor visas ([[F visa|F]], [[J-1 visa|J]], and [[M-1 visa|M]]) can be renewed using either of the above two methods but need to satisfy ''both'' these conditions: * For F and M, either the program or the institution, or both, must be the same as for the original visa. For J visas, the SEVIS number must remain the same in order for the interview to be waived. * The applicant must be in status according to SEVIS, and, in case of any discrepancies between the current and previous visa applications, or for any other reason, an interview may be requested. === Interview waiver for Argentines and Brazilians (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(4)) === If none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply, an interview may be waived for a first-time Argentine or Brazilian visa applicant in a visa class other than E, H, L, P, or R if ''both'' the following conditions apply:<ref name=fam-9/> * The applicant is a first-time Argentine or Brazilian nonimmigrant visa applicant who is younger than 16 or 66 and older * The applicant is applying in the consular district of his or her normal residence. === Conditions in which personal appearance may not be waived (9 FAM 403.5-6) === Personal appearance may be waived for candidates who have been selected for interview based on randomization. There could be other reasons such as a past visa rejection, annotation of "Clearance Received" on the most recently issued visa, criminal record, history of immigration violations, or other red flags.<ref name=uk-embassy/> However, the full list of reasons is not made publicly available in the ''Foreign Affairs Manual''.<ref name=fam-9/> == Implementation == The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. If they meet the conditions for an interview waiver, then instead of asking to schedule a visa interview appointment, the online interface will provide information or require an appointment to drop off the materials and collect biometric information.<ref name=matamoros/> == History == === Rollout === The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided. The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and its scope in India was expanded in November 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The Interview Waiver Program became permanent in January 2014.<ref name=bond-statement/> In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref> In November 2015, the IWP was expanded in India to cover people with [[H-1B visa]]s whose employer had changed.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Expansion of Visa Interview Waiver Program|date = November 13, 2015|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Murthy Law Firm}}</ref> IWP was still being rolled out to additional countries as of 2016.<ref name=algeria>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/algeria/401501/pdf2016/2016-04-10_Visa_Interview_Waiver_Program_EN.pdf|title = Visa Interview Program Launched!|date = April 11, 2016|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America in Algiera, Algeria}}</ref> === Suspension === An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz/><ref name=cnn/> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs.<ref name=bond-statement/> == References == {{reflist|30em}} [[Category:Visa policy of the United States]]'

'The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s [[Bureau of Consular Affairs]] under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants. The program has basis in the guidelines provided in the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5.<ref name=fam-9-403-5>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> As of December 2022, some of the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program were extended to December 31, 2023 (this is in addition to the cases that have no set expiration, that are expected to continue beyond December 31, 2023).<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023>{{cite web|url = https://www.state.gov/extension-of-interview-waivers-for-certain-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants/|title = Extension of Interview Waivers for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants|date = December 23, 2022|accessdate = October 11, 2023|publisher = U.S. Department of State}}</ref><ref name=fam-9-403-5/> Applicants qualifying for interview waivers generally need to submit their passport along with various documentation to the US embassy or consulate processing their case. In some jurisdictions, the location that applicants submit the passport and documentation is called a "dropbox" location, and the terms "dropbox" or "dropbox appointment" may be used instead of "interview waiver" in some contexts.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/lk/lk-niv-visarenew.asp|title = Interview Waiver & Visa Renewal (Sri Lanka)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-niv-typej.asp|title = Exchange Visitor Visa (Vietnam)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://visagrader.com/trackers/us-drop-box-visa-appointments|title = US Visa Dropbox Appointment Experiences Tracker|publisher = Visa Grader|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> == Guidance for the Interview Waiver Program provided in the Foreign Affairs Manual (as of 2023) == According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may choose to waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of the below conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public. The guidance offers considerable leeway for consulates and consular officers regarding whether to grant interview waivers; it only provides a set of necessary conditions that must be satisfied in order to grant an interview waiver.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> === Background regarding "time of application" versus time of adjudication === Some of the provisions of the Interview Waiver Program refer to an absolute time limit (December 31, 2023 for some of the cases below). Other provisions refer to relative time since expiration of a previous visa (48 months for some of the cases below). The "time of application" that is used for both absolute time limits and relative time calculations is the time that the visa application is submitted with payment of visa fee. This is clarified in 9 FAM 403.2-3 Definition of "Making a Visa Application":<ref name=fam-9-403-2>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040302.html|title = 9 FAM 403.2 NIV APPLICATION (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> {{blockquote|a. For an NIV applicant, "making a visa application" requires the applicant to complete three components: (1) Complete and submit a Form DS-160 for formal adjudication by a consular officer, signed electronically by clicking the box designated "Sign Application" in the certification section of the application; (2) Pay the required application fee (also known as the MRV application fee) or provide evidence of prior payment of the application processing fee, unless the applicant is exempt from paying the MRV fee (see 9 FAM 403.4-3); and (3) Provide all required biometric data. Biometric data is not complete until a photograph has been submitted and fingerprints, if required, have been collected. Fingerprints that have been collected by a locally employed staff member or collected off-site by a contractor meet this standard, even if they have not yet been verified by a cleared American. b. Applicants who have submitted a photograph and who have ten fingerprints on file from a previous application have provided all required biometric data. Applicants who have two fingerprints on file from a previous application, and who have been ten-printed by a contractor for verification via IDENT, have supplied the required biometric information.}} The scheduling of the appointment for the visa interview or document drop-off (the latter in case of an interview waiver) may be done later, within a prescribed time limit, and the actual appointment itself may be even later. For instance, in the case of India, the visa appointment or document drop-off appointment must be scheduled within 365 days of the visa application and fee payment, though the date it is scheduled ''for'' may be farther out than 365 days.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/|title = Visas|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> In particular, the time of visa interview or document drop-off and time of subsequent adjudication steps need not be by December 31, 2023, and need not fall within the 48-month time limit, in order for the interview waiver criteria to be satisfied. === Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-2) === If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * under 14 years of age; or * over 79 years of age === Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(1)) === Interviews may be waived for any of the following visa types, all of which bear some relations to government officials or diplomats:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members * [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff * [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver) * [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members * [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization) * [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa) * [[G-4 visa]] * [[NATO-1 visa]] * NATO-2 visa * NATO-3 visa * NATO-4 visa * NATO-5 visa * NATO-6 visa * TECRO [[E-1 visa]] === Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(2)) === Interviews may be waived for any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively. === Interview waiver for renewals (within 48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(3)) === Interview waivers can be used if ''all'' these conditions hold:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * The applicant is renewing a nonimmigrant visa of the same classification within 48 months of the expiry of the previous visa. Both the visa classification and the category of applicant within that visa class (principal or derivative) should match up. The 48 months applies to the time the visa application is made; the adjudication may happen a little later. * The applicant is applying in the consular district of their normal residence, unless otherwise prescribed in regulations that require an applicant to apply for a visa in the country of which such applicant is a national. * In the case of F, M, and J applicants, the applicant's SEVIS record must indicate an "initial" or "active" status. === Interview waiver for H-2A and H-2B applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(4)) === A wider range of cases is eligible for interview waivers until December 31, 2023; ''any'' of the below cases is eligible for an interview waiver:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * First-time H-2 applicants with no associated derogatory information * First-time H-2 applicants with potential derogatory information that the officer can exclude as not rising to the level of an ineligibility without requiring the applicant appear for an interview * Applicants for an H-2 NIV submitted within 48 months of the expiration of a previous NIV in any classification === Interview waiver for F, M, and J applicants (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(5)) === Either of these is eligible for interview waivers:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility * First-time F, M, and academic J NIV applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; and who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility === Interview waiver for individual petition-based H, L, O, P, and Q applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(6)) === Until December 31, 2023, an applicant for an H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, O, P, or Q NIV in one of the following categories:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility * First-time individual petition-based H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility === Interview waiver by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) === The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is necessary due to unusual or emergent circumstances. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> === Interview waiver by the Secretary of State (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) === The Secretary of State may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> == Implementation == The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online on the Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center website, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. After submitting Form DS-160, the applicant may then use the Form DS-160 confirmation number to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the consulate. As of 2023, the website through which nonimmigrant visa applications for US consulates can be done electronically is ustraveldocs.com.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/|title = USTravelDocs|accessdate = October 11, 2023}}</ref> The visa application process on this site includes a bunch of questions for the applicant, and based on the applicant's answers to the questions, the application informs the applicant whether he or she may be eligible for an interview waiver; even if eligible for the interview waiver, the applicant still has the option of choosing to schedule an interview. == History == === Rollout from 2011 to 2016 under the Obama administration === The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011 under the administration of then-United States President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided. The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and was expanded in November 2012 to cover more categories.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/u-s-consulates-in-india-implement-new-system-aimed-at-rationalizing-nonimmigrant-visa-application-process/|title = U.S. Consulates in India Implement New System Aimed at Rationalizing Nonimmigrant Visa Application Process|last = Merrills|first = Andrew|last2 = Smalley|first2 = Stephen|publisher = Ogletree Deakins}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/expansion-of-the-interview-waiver-program-at-u-s-embassies-and-consulates-in-india/|title = Expansion of the Interview Waiver Program at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in India|last = Smalley|first = Stephen|last2 = Merrills|first2 = Andrew|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://immigrationview.foxrothschild.com/consular-issues/interview-waiver-program-iwp-expanded-in-india/|title = Interview Waiver Program (IWP) Expanded in India|date = November 21, 2012|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Immigration View}}</ref> The Interview Waiver Program became permanent in January 2014.<ref name=bond-statement/> In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs [[Michele Thoren Bond]] talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/0F0AFD39-7352-4122-B384-8B33D003A011|title = Written Statement of Michele T. Bond, Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Department of State: Hearing on Travel Facitation|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> === Suspension by Donald Trump after becoming United States President in January 2017 === An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs;<ref name=bond-statement-removed>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref> however, a copy remains on the website of the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]].<ref name=bond-statement/> === Reinstatement in limited form in July 2017; further developments under the Trump administration=== In July 2017, the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated with new guidance on the criteria for interview waivers; the new criteria were significantly more restrictive than the criteria prior to Trump's executive order. Specifically, interview waivers were still possible based on age (less than 14 years or more than 79 years), diplomatic nature of visa, and visa expiration within the last 12 months. However, the previously allowed interview waivers for visas expired between 12 and 48 months prior were no longer allowed.<ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy>{{cite web|url = https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/MPI_US-Immigration-Trump-Presidency-Final.pdf|title = Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency|publisher = Migration Policy Institute|last = Pierce|first = Sarah|last2 = Bolter|first2 = Jessica|date = July 1, 2020|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|87}}<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170728232427/https:/fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual; version as of July 28, 2017)|date = July 28, 2017|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]}}</ref> On May 14, 2019, the Interview Waiver Program was suspended for all visa renewals in [[Nigeria]] (waivers for diplomatic visas would still be allowed); this suspension happened one month after news that the Trump administration has been considering new immigration measures to impose visa restrictions on countries whose citizens have a track record of overstaying beyond the validity of their short-term US visas.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://qz.com/africa/1618935/us-cancels-dropbox-visa-interview-waiver-in-nigeria|title = The Trump administration just made its first move in a clampdown on US visas for Nigerians|last = Kazeem|first = Yomi|date = May 14, 2019|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Quartz}}</ref><ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy/>{{rp|87}} === Return to Obama-era state under the Biden administration; further expansion === In the wake of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the administration of President [[Joe Biden]], upon coming to power on January 20, 2021, received feedback to return the Interview Waiver Program to its Obama-era state, specifically, by allowing for interview waivers in the case of renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.presidentsalliance.org/letter-to-secretary-of-state-blinken-on-international-students/|title = Letter to Secretary of State Blinken on International Students|publisher = Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration|date = February 1, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> In March 2021, the Biden administration incorporated the feedback and temporarily expanded the Interview Waiver Program to cover visa renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year); the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated to reflect this. The increase to 48 months was only effective till December 31, 2021. A special temporary set of interview waiver criteria for H-2 applicants, also available only till December 31, 2021, was introduced.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210318001952/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 18, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The change was implemented by several U.S. embassies and consulates shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ec.usembassy.gov/united-states-announces-increased-b1-b2-visa-validity-for-ecuadorians/|title = United States Announces Increased B1/B2 Visa Validity for Ecuadorians|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Ecuador|date = March 26, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=794698051171023|title = Consular Officer Melissa Sandoval told the media today that the Embassy’s Interview Waiver Program has been expanded. Sandoval explains that if your US visa expired in the last four years, you can apply in the same visa category.|date = March 23, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> There were minor modifications to the language through 2021. In early 2022, the Interview Waiver Program was extended and expanded, with the sunset date being removed entirely for the ability to use an interview waiver for visa renewals within 48 months of expiry (the previous sunset date was December 31, 2021), and the sunset date for the temporary H-2 provisions being extended to December 31, 2022 (from December 31, 2021). In addition, two new cases were made eligible for the interview waiver: applicants for some visa categories who had previously issued any type of visa (until December 31, 2022), and some first-time applicants, specifically those from Visa Waiver Program countries who satisfied some criteria.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2022/01/flash-alert-2022-001.html|title = United States –Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Expanded, Extended Through 2022|date = January 5, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = KPMG}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220209024935/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = February 9, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The expansion to first-time applicants from Visa Waiver Program countries had been mentioned in the June 2014 remarks by [[Michele Thoren Bond]] in the hearing on travel facilitation as an example of a potential future expansion of the Interview Waiver Program.<ref name=bond-statement/> In December 2022, the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program, that were originally set to expire on December 31, 2022, were extended to December 31, 2023. Explicit exclusion of Nigeria from eligibility for some interview waiver categories was also removed around this time.<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230316101538/https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 16, 2023|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> == References == {{reflist|30em}} [[Category:Visa policy of the United States]]'

'@@ -1,93 +1,131 @@ -{{Blacklisted-links|1= -*https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/ -*:''Triggered by <code>\bmurthy\.com\b</code> on the local blacklist''|bot=Cyberbot II|invisible=false}} -The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants.<ref name=fam-9>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=guyana>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/guyana/19452/pdfs/ASK151-InterviewWaiverProgram.pdf|title = Ask the Consul Installment 151: Interview Waiver Program (IWP)|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America, Georgetown, Guyana|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=tashkent>{{cite web|url = https://uz.usembassy.gov/visas/non-immigrant-visas/nonimmigrant-visas-tourism-visit/interview-waiver-program/|title = Interview Waiver Program|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=matamoros>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/matamoros/231771/PDFs/interview%20waiver%20program.pdf|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = Matamoros Consulate General}}</ref><ref name=uk-embassy>{{cite web|url = https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-reissuance-program/overview-2/|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=jakarta-video>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP1rkryQZZM|title = Renewing Your Visa Using the Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy Jakarta|date = March 4, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> +The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s [[Bureau of Consular Affairs]] under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants. The program has basis in the guidelines provided in the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5.<ref name=fam-9-403-5>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> As of December 2022, some of the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program were extended to December 31, 2023 (this is in addition to the cases that have no set expiration, that are expected to continue beyond December 31, 2023).<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023>{{cite web|url = https://www.state.gov/extension-of-interview-waivers-for-certain-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants/|title = Extension of Interview Waivers for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants|date = December 23, 2022|accessdate = October 11, 2023|publisher = U.S. Department of State}}</ref><ref name=fam-9-403-5/> -An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]] asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the [[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952|INA]], 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> +Applicants qualifying for interview waivers generally need to submit their passport along with various documentation to the US embassy or consulate processing their case. In some jurisdictions, the location that applicants submit the passport and documentation is called a "dropbox" location, and the terms "dropbox" or "dropbox appointment" may be used instead of "interview waiver" in some contexts.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/lk/lk-niv-visarenew.asp|title = Interview Waiver & Visa Renewal (Sri Lanka)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-niv-typej.asp|title = Exchange Visitor Visa (Vietnam)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://visagrader.com/trackers/us-drop-box-visa-appointments|title = US Visa Dropbox Appointment Experiences Tracker|publisher = Visa Grader|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> -== Conditions for the Interview Waiver Program == +== Guidance for the Interview Waiver Program provided in the Foreign Affairs Manual (as of 2023) == -According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of these four conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public.<ref name=fam-9/> +According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may choose to waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of the below conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public. The guidance offers considerable leeway for consulates and consular officers regarding whether to grant interview waivers; it only provides a set of necessary conditions that must be satisfied in order to grant an interview waiver.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> -Not all embassies and consulates need to implement all the waiver criteria of the IWP. In particular, some consulates may implement the IWP for only a subset of the criteria, and may impose additional criteria. For instance, the embassy in Georgetown, Guyana has implemented the IWP only for the B-1/B-2, C-1/C2, and D visa types.<ref name=guyana/> Similarly, the consulate in [[Matamoros, Coahuila|Matamoros]], [[Mexico]] has set the age threshold for the age-based interview waiver for children at 7 years instead of 14 years.<ref name=matamoros/> +=== Background regarding "time of application" versus time of adjudication === -=== Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)) === +Some of the provisions of the Interview Waiver Program refer to an absolute time limit (December 31, 2023 for some of the cases below). Other provisions refer to relative time since expiration of a previous visa (48 months for some of the cases below). The "time of application" that is used for both absolute time limits and relative time calculations is the time that the visa application is submitted with payment of visa fee. This is clarified in 9 FAM 403.2-3 Definition of "Making a Visa Application":<ref name=fam-9-403-2>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040302.html|title = 9 FAM 403.2 NIV APPLICATION (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> -If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9/><ref name=tashkent/> +{{blockquote|a. For an NIV applicant, "making a visa application" requires the applicant to complete three components: + +(1) Complete and submit a Form DS-160 for formal adjudication by a consular officer, signed electronically by clicking the box designated "Sign Application" in the certification section of the application; + +(2) Pay the required application fee (also known as the MRV application fee) or provide evidence of prior payment of the application processing fee, unless the applicant is exempt from paying the MRV fee (see 9 FAM 403.4-3); and + +(3) Provide all required biometric data. Biometric data is not complete until a photograph has been submitted and fingerprints, if required, have been collected. Fingerprints that have been collected by a locally employed staff member or collected off-site by a contractor meet this standard, even if they have not yet been verified by a cleared American. + +b. Applicants who have submitted a photograph and who have ten fingerprints on file from a previous application have provided all required biometric data. Applicants who have two fingerprints on file from a previous application, and who have been ten-printed by a contractor for verification via IDENT, have supplied the required biometric information.}} + +The scheduling of the appointment for the visa interview or document drop-off (the latter in case of an interview waiver) may be done later, within a prescribed time limit, and the actual appointment itself may be even later. For instance, in the case of India, the visa appointment or document drop-off appointment must be scheduled within 365 days of the visa application and fee payment, though the date it is scheduled ''for'' may be farther out than 365 days.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/|title = Visas|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> In particular, the time of visa interview or document drop-off and time of subsequent adjudication steps need not be by December 31, 2023, and need not fall within the 48-month time limit, in order for the interview waiver criteria to be satisfied. + +=== Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-2) === + +If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> * under 14 years of age; or * over 79 years of age -=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials 9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(2)) === +=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(1)) === + +Interviews may be waived for any of the following visa types, all of which bear some relations to government officials or diplomats:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> + +* [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members +* [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff +* [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver) +* [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members +* [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization) +* [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa) +* [[G-4 visa]] +* [[NATO-1 visa]] +* NATO-2 visa +* NATO-3 visa +* NATO-4 visa +* NATO-5 visa +* NATO-6 visa +* TECRO [[E-1 visa]] + +=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(2)) === -Interviews may be waived for ''either'' of the following visa types:<ref name=fam-9/> +Interviews may be waived for any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively. -* Any of the following: -** [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members -** [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff -** [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver) -** [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members -** [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization) -** [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa) -** [[G-4 visa]] -** [[NATO-1 visa]] -** NATO-2 visa -** NATO-3 visa -** NATO-4 visa -** NATO-5 visa -** NATO-6 visa -** TECRO [[E-1 visa]] -* Any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively. +=== Interview waiver for renewals (within 48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(3)) === -=== Interview waiver for renewals (within one year or 12-48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(3)) === +Interview waivers can be used if ''all'' these conditions hold:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> -Interview waivers can be used in cases of people reapplying for the same visa class that they previously held, if ''either'' of the following two cases apply and none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply:<ref name=fam-9/> +* The applicant is renewing a nonimmigrant visa of the same classification within 48 months of the expiry of the previous visa. Both the visa classification and the category of applicant within that visa class (principal or derivative) should match up. The 48 months applies to the time the visa application is made; the adjudication may happen a little later. +* The applicant is applying in the consular district of their normal residence, unless otherwise prescribed in regulations that require an applicant to apply for a visa in the country of which such applicant is a national. +* In the case of F, M, and J applicants, the applicant's SEVIS record must indicate an "initial" or "active" status. -* '''Renewals within one year''': An interview may be waived for an applicant applying for renewing a visa that is still valid or expired less than a year ago, if the applicant is seeking renewal of the visa in the same classification (same visa class and same category (principal or derivative)). For instance, an F-1 visa holder can get an interview waiver for a F-1 visa, but a F-2 visa holder cannot. Any biometric requirements must have been met when issuing the previous visa, or fulfilled separately to qualify for the interview waiver. Note that F, J, and M visa holders have to satisfy additional requirements as noted after the bullet points. -* '''Renewal 12–48 months after expiry''': All the following conditions must be satisfied: -** The visa must ''not'' be in the following categories: E visa, H visa, L visa, P visa, and R visa (note that F, J, and M visas have slightly different rules, as detailed after the bullet points). -** The visa is being renewed between 12 and 48 months after the prior visa's expiration date. -** The applicant must be a national or resident of the country in which he or she is applying for the visa -** The applicant has met all biometric requirements +=== Interview waiver for H-2A and H-2B applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(4)) === -'''Renewals for student and exchange visitor visas''': Student and exchange visitor visas ([[F visa|F]], [[J-1 visa|J]], and [[M-1 visa|M]]) can be renewed using either of the above two methods but need to satisfy ''both'' these conditions: -* For F and M, either the program or the institution, or both, must be the same as for the original visa. For J visas, the SEVIS number must remain the same in order for the interview to be waived. -* The applicant must be in status according to SEVIS, and, in case of any discrepancies between the current and previous visa applications, or for any other reason, an interview may be requested. +A wider range of cases is eligible for interview waivers until December 31, 2023; ''any'' of the below cases is eligible for an interview waiver:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> -=== Interview waiver for Argentines and Brazilians (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(4)) === +* First-time H-2 applicants with no associated derogatory information +* First-time H-2 applicants with potential derogatory information that the officer can exclude as not rising to the level of an ineligibility without requiring the applicant appear for an interview +* Applicants for an H-2 NIV submitted within 48 months of the expiration of a previous NIV in any classification -If none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply, an interview may be waived for a first-time Argentine or Brazilian visa applicant in a visa class other than E, H, L, P, or R if ''both'' the following conditions apply:<ref name=fam-9/> -* The applicant is a first-time Argentine or Brazilian nonimmigrant visa applicant who is younger than 16 or 66 and older -* The applicant is applying in the consular district of his or her normal residence. +=== Interview waiver for F, M, and J applicants (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(5)) === -=== Conditions in which personal appearance may not be waived (9 FAM 403.5-6) === +Either of these is eligible for interview waivers:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> -Personal appearance may be waived for candidates who have been selected for interview based on randomization. There could be other reasons such as a past visa rejection, annotation of "Clearance Received" on the most recently issued visa, criminal record, history of immigration violations, or other red flags.<ref name=uk-embassy/> However, the full list of reasons is not made publicly available in the ''Foreign Affairs Manual''.<ref name=fam-9/> +* Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility +* First-time F, M, and academic J NIV applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; and who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility + +=== Interview waiver for individual petition-based H, L, O, P, and Q applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(6)) === + +Until December 31, 2023, an applicant for an H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, O, P, or Q NIV in one of the following categories:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> + +* Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility +* First-time individual petition-based H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility + +=== Interview waiver by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) === + +The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is necessary due to unusual or emergent circumstances. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> + +=== Interview waiver by the Secretary of State (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) === + +The Secretary of State may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/> == Implementation == -The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. If they meet the conditions for an interview waiver, then instead of asking to schedule a visa interview appointment, the online interface will provide information or require an appointment to drop off the materials and collect biometric information.<ref name=matamoros/> +The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online on the Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center website, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. After submitting Form DS-160, the applicant may then use the Form DS-160 confirmation number to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the consulate. As of 2023, the website through which nonimmigrant visa applications for US consulates can be done electronically is ustraveldocs.com.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/|title = USTravelDocs|accessdate = October 11, 2023}}</ref> The visa application process on this site includes a bunch of questions for the applicant, and based on the applicant's answers to the questions, the application informs the applicant whether he or she may be eligible for an interview waiver; even if eligible for the interview waiver, the applicant still has the option of choosing to schedule an interview. == History == -=== Rollout === +=== Rollout from 2011 to 2016 under the Obama administration === -The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided. +The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011 under the administration of then-United States President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided. -The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and its scope in India was expanded in November 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> +The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and was expanded in November 2012 to cover more categories.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/u-s-consulates-in-india-implement-new-system-aimed-at-rationalizing-nonimmigrant-visa-application-process/|title = U.S. Consulates in India Implement New System Aimed at Rationalizing Nonimmigrant Visa Application Process|last = Merrills|first = Andrew|last2 = Smalley|first2 = Stephen|publisher = Ogletree Deakins}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/expansion-of-the-interview-waiver-program-at-u-s-embassies-and-consulates-in-india/|title = Expansion of the Interview Waiver Program at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in India|last = Smalley|first = Stephen|last2 = Merrills|first2 = Andrew|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://immigrationview.foxrothschild.com/consular-issues/interview-waiver-program-iwp-expanded-in-india/|title = Interview Waiver Program (IWP) Expanded in India|date = November 21, 2012|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Immigration View}}</ref> The Interview Waiver Program became permanent in January 2014.<ref name=bond-statement/> -In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref> +In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs [[Michele Thoren Bond]] talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/0F0AFD39-7352-4122-B384-8B33D003A011|title = Written Statement of Michele T. Bond, Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Department of State: Hearing on Travel Facitation|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> + +=== Suspension by Donald Trump after becoming United States President in January 2017 === + +An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> + +At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs;<ref name=bond-statement-removed>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref> however, a copy remains on the website of the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]].<ref name=bond-statement/> + +=== Reinstatement in limited form in July 2017; further developments under the Trump administration=== + +In July 2017, the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated with new guidance on the criteria for interview waivers; the new criteria were significantly more restrictive than the criteria prior to Trump's executive order. Specifically, interview waivers were still possible based on age (less than 14 years or more than 79 years), diplomatic nature of visa, and visa expiration within the last 12 months. However, the previously allowed interview waivers for visas expired between 12 and 48 months prior were no longer allowed.<ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy>{{cite web|url = https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/MPI_US-Immigration-Trump-Presidency-Final.pdf|title = Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency|publisher = Migration Policy Institute|last = Pierce|first = Sarah|last2 = Bolter|first2 = Jessica|date = July 1, 2020|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|87}}<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170728232427/https:/fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual; version as of July 28, 2017)|date = July 28, 2017|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]}}</ref> + +On May 14, 2019, the Interview Waiver Program was suspended for all visa renewals in [[Nigeria]] (waivers for diplomatic visas would still be allowed); this suspension happened one month after news that the Trump administration has been considering new immigration measures to impose visa restrictions on countries whose citizens have a track record of overstaying beyond the validity of their short-term US visas.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://qz.com/africa/1618935/us-cancels-dropbox-visa-interview-waiver-in-nigeria|title = The Trump administration just made its first move in a clampdown on US visas for Nigerians|last = Kazeem|first = Yomi|date = May 14, 2019|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Quartz}}</ref><ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy/>{{rp|87}} -In November 2015, the IWP was expanded in India to cover people with [[H-1B visa]]s whose employer had changed.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Expansion of Visa Interview Waiver Program|date = November 13, 2015|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Murthy Law Firm}}</ref> +=== Return to Obama-era state under the Biden administration; further expansion === -IWP was still being rolled out to additional countries as of 2016.<ref name=algeria>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/algeria/401501/pdf2016/2016-04-10_Visa_Interview_Waiver_Program_EN.pdf|title = Visa Interview Program Launched!|date = April 11, 2016|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America in Algiera, Algeria}}</ref> +In the wake of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the administration of President [[Joe Biden]], upon coming to power on January 20, 2021, received feedback to return the Interview Waiver Program to its Obama-era state, specifically, by allowing for interview waivers in the case of renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.presidentsalliance.org/letter-to-secretary-of-state-blinken-on-international-students/|title = Letter to Secretary of State Blinken on International Students|publisher = Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration|date = February 1, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> -=== Suspension === +In March 2021, the Biden administration incorporated the feedback and temporarily expanded the Interview Waiver Program to cover visa renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year); the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated to reflect this. The increase to 48 months was only effective till December 31, 2021. A special temporary set of interview waiver criteria for H-2 applicants, also available only till December 31, 2021, was introduced.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210318001952/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 18, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The change was implemented by several U.S. embassies and consulates shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ec.usembassy.gov/united-states-announces-increased-b1-b2-visa-validity-for-ecuadorians/|title = United States Announces Increased B1/B2 Visa Validity for Ecuadorians|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Ecuador|date = March 26, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=794698051171023|title = Consular Officer Melissa Sandoval told the media today that the Embassy’s Interview Waiver Program has been expanded. Sandoval explains that if your US visa expired in the last four years, you can apply in the same visa category.|date = March 23, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> There were minor modifications to the language through 2021. -An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz/><ref name=cnn/> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> +In early 2022, the Interview Waiver Program was extended and expanded, with the sunset date being removed entirely for the ability to use an interview waiver for visa renewals within 48 months of expiry (the previous sunset date was December 31, 2021), and the sunset date for the temporary H-2 provisions being extended to December 31, 2022 (from December 31, 2021). In addition, two new cases were made eligible for the interview waiver: applicants for some visa categories who had previously issued any type of visa (until December 31, 2022), and some first-time applicants, specifically those from Visa Waiver Program countries who satisfied some criteria.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2022/01/flash-alert-2022-001.html|title = United States –Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Expanded, Extended Through 2022|date = January 5, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = KPMG}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220209024935/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = February 9, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The expansion to first-time applicants from Visa Waiver Program countries had been mentioned in the June 2014 remarks by [[Michele Thoren Bond]] in the hearing on travel facilitation as an example of a potential future expansion of the Interview Waiver Program.<ref name=bond-statement/> -At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs.<ref name=bond-statement/> +In December 2022, the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program, that were originally set to expire on December 31, 2022, were extended to December 31, 2023. Explicit exclusion of Nigeria from eligibility for some interview waiver categories was also removed around this time.<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230316101538/https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 16, 2023|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> == References == '

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[ 0 => 'The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s [[Bureau of Consular Affairs]] under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants. The program has basis in the guidelines provided in the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5.<ref name=fam-9-403-5>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> As of December 2022, some of the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program were extended to December 31, 2023 (this is in addition to the cases that have no set expiration, that are expected to continue beyond December 31, 2023).<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023>{{cite web|url = https://www.state.gov/extension-of-interview-waivers-for-certain-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants/|title = Extension of Interview Waivers for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants|date = December 23, 2022|accessdate = October 11, 2023|publisher = U.S. Department of State}}</ref><ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 1 => 'Applicants qualifying for interview waivers generally need to submit their passport along with various documentation to the US embassy or consulate processing their case. In some jurisdictions, the location that applicants submit the passport and documentation is called a "dropbox" location, and the terms "dropbox" or "dropbox appointment" may be used instead of "interview waiver" in some contexts.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/lk/lk-niv-visarenew.asp|title = Interview Waiver & Visa Renewal (Sri Lanka)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-niv-typej.asp|title = Exchange Visitor Visa (Vietnam)|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = USTravelDocs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://visagrader.com/trackers/us-drop-box-visa-appointments|title = US Visa Dropbox Appointment Experiences Tracker|publisher = Visa Grader|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>', 2 => '== Guidance for the Interview Waiver Program provided in the Foreign Affairs Manual (as of 2023) ==', 3 => 'According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may choose to waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of the below conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public. The guidance offers considerable leeway for consulates and consular officers regarding whether to grant interview waivers; it only provides a set of necessary conditions that must be satisfied in order to grant an interview waiver.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 4 => '=== Background regarding "time of application" versus time of adjudication ===', 5 => 'Some of the provisions of the Interview Waiver Program refer to an absolute time limit (December 31, 2023 for some of the cases below). Other provisions refer to relative time since expiration of a previous visa (48 months for some of the cases below). The "time of application" that is used for both absolute time limits and relative time calculations is the time that the visa application is submitted with payment of visa fee. This is clarified in 9 FAM 403.2-3 Definition of "Making a Visa Application":<ref name=fam-9-403-2>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040302.html|title = 9 FAM 403.2 NIV APPLICATION (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>', 6 => '{{blockquote|a. For an NIV applicant, "making a visa application" requires the applicant to complete three components:', 7 => '', 8 => '(1) Complete and submit a Form DS-160 for formal adjudication by a consular officer, signed electronically by clicking the box designated "Sign Application" in the certification section of the application;', 9 => '', 10 => '(2) Pay the required application fee (also known as the MRV application fee) or provide evidence of prior payment of the application processing fee, unless the applicant is exempt from paying the MRV fee (see 9 FAM 403.4-3); and', 11 => '', 12 => '(3) Provide all required biometric data. Biometric data is not complete until a photograph has been submitted and fingerprints, if required, have been collected. Fingerprints that have been collected by a locally employed staff member or collected off-site by a contractor meet this standard, even if they have not yet been verified by a cleared American.', 13 => '', 14 => 'b. Applicants who have submitted a photograph and who have ten fingerprints on file from a previous application have provided all required biometric data. Applicants who have two fingerprints on file from a previous application, and who have been ten-printed by a contractor for verification via IDENT, have supplied the required biometric information.}}', 15 => '', 16 => 'The scheduling of the appointment for the visa interview or document drop-off (the latter in case of an interview waiver) may be done later, within a prescribed time limit, and the actual appointment itself may be even later. For instance, in the case of India, the visa appointment or document drop-off appointment must be scheduled within 365 days of the visa application and fee payment, though the date it is scheduled ''for'' may be farther out than 365 days.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/|title = Visas|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> In particular, the time of visa interview or document drop-off and time of subsequent adjudication steps need not be by December 31, 2023, and need not fall within the 48-month time limit, in order for the interview waiver criteria to be satisfied.', 17 => '', 18 => '=== Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-2) ===', 19 => '', 20 => 'If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 21 => '=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(1)) ===', 22 => '', 23 => 'Interviews may be waived for any of the following visa types, all of which bear some relations to government officials or diplomats:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 24 => '', 25 => '* [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members', 26 => '* [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff', 27 => '* [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver)', 28 => '* [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members', 29 => '* [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization)', 30 => '* [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa)', 31 => '* [[G-4 visa]]', 32 => '* [[NATO-1 visa]]', 33 => '* NATO-2 visa', 34 => '* NATO-3 visa', 35 => '* NATO-4 visa', 36 => '* NATO-5 visa', 37 => '* NATO-6 visa', 38 => '* TECRO [[E-1 visa]]', 39 => '', 40 => '=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(2)) ===', 41 => 'Interviews may be waived for any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively.', 42 => '=== Interview waiver for renewals (within 48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(3)) ===', 43 => 'Interview waivers can be used if ''all'' these conditions hold:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 44 => '* The applicant is renewing a nonimmigrant visa of the same classification within 48 months of the expiry of the previous visa. Both the visa classification and the category of applicant within that visa class (principal or derivative) should match up. The 48 months applies to the time the visa application is made; the adjudication may happen a little later.', 45 => '* The applicant is applying in the consular district of their normal residence, unless otherwise prescribed in regulations that require an applicant to apply for a visa in the country of which such applicant is a national.', 46 => '* In the case of F, M, and J applicants, the applicant's SEVIS record must indicate an "initial" or "active" status.', 47 => '=== Interview waiver for H-2A and H-2B applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(4)) ===', 48 => 'A wider range of cases is eligible for interview waivers until December 31, 2023; ''any'' of the below cases is eligible for an interview waiver:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 49 => '* First-time H-2 applicants with no associated derogatory information', 50 => '* First-time H-2 applicants with potential derogatory information that the officer can exclude as not rising to the level of an ineligibility without requiring the applicant appear for an interview', 51 => '* Applicants for an H-2 NIV submitted within 48 months of the expiration of a previous NIV in any classification', 52 => '=== Interview waiver for F, M, and J applicants (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(5)) ===', 53 => 'Either of these is eligible for interview waivers:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 54 => '* Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility', 55 => '* First-time F, M, and academic J NIV applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; and who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility', 56 => '', 57 => '=== Interview waiver for individual petition-based H, L, O, P, and Q applicants (until December 31, 2023) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(a)(6)) ===', 58 => '', 59 => 'Until December 31, 2023, an applicant for an H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, O, P, or Q NIV in one of the following categories:<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 60 => '', 61 => '* Applicants who were previously issued any type of visa; who have never been refused a visa, unless that refusal was later overcome, or a waiver of ineligibility was obtained; and for whom there is no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility', 62 => '* First-time individual petition-based H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries; who have no prior ESTA denials; who have previously traveled to the United States on ESTA; and whose visa applications reveal no derogatory or potentially derogatory information; and who have no indication of potential visa misuse or ineligibility', 63 => '', 64 => '=== Interview waiver by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) ===', 65 => '', 66 => 'The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is necessary due to unusual or emergent circumstances. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 67 => '', 68 => '=== Interview waiver by the Secretary of State (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)(b)) ===', 69 => '', 70 => 'The Secretary of State may waive the interview requirement in individual cases after determining that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States. Visa officers reviewing a case may escalate such cases for attention by contacting the VO/F post liaison.<ref name=fam-9-403-5/>', 71 => 'The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online on the Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center website, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. After submitting Form DS-160, the applicant may then use the Form DS-160 confirmation number to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the consulate. As of 2023, the website through which nonimmigrant visa applications for US consulates can be done electronically is ustraveldocs.com.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ustraveldocs.com/|title = USTravelDocs|accessdate = October 11, 2023}}</ref> The visa application process on this site includes a bunch of questions for the applicant, and based on the applicant's answers to the questions, the application informs the applicant whether he or she may be eligible for an interview waiver; even if eligible for the interview waiver, the applicant still has the option of choosing to schedule an interview.', 72 => '=== Rollout from 2011 to 2016 under the Obama administration ===', 73 => 'The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011 under the administration of then-United States President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided.', 74 => 'The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and was expanded in November 2012 to cover more categories.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/u-s-consulates-in-india-implement-new-system-aimed-at-rationalizing-nonimmigrant-visa-application-process/|title = U.S. Consulates in India Implement New System Aimed at Rationalizing Nonimmigrant Visa Application Process|last = Merrills|first = Andrew|last2 = Smalley|first2 = Stephen|publisher = Ogletree Deakins}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/expansion-of-the-interview-waiver-program-at-u-s-embassies-and-consulates-in-india/|title = Expansion of the Interview Waiver Program at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in India|last = Smalley|first = Stephen|last2 = Merrills|first2 = Andrew|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://immigrationview.foxrothschild.com/consular-issues/interview-waiver-program-iwp-expanded-in-india/|title = Interview Waiver Program (IWP) Expanded in India|date = November 21, 2012|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Immigration View}}</ref>', 75 => 'In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs [[Michele Thoren Bond]] talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/0F0AFD39-7352-4122-B384-8B33D003A011|title = Written Statement of Michele T. Bond, Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Department of State: Hearing on Travel Facitation|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>', 76 => '', 77 => '=== Suspension by Donald Trump after becoming United States President in January 2017 ===', 78 => '', 79 => 'An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref>', 80 => '', 81 => 'At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs;<ref name=bond-statement-removed>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref> however, a copy remains on the website of the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]].<ref name=bond-statement/>', 82 => '', 83 => '=== Reinstatement in limited form in July 2017; further developments under the Trump administration===', 84 => '', 85 => 'In July 2017, the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated with new guidance on the criteria for interview waivers; the new criteria were significantly more restrictive than the criteria prior to Trump's executive order. Specifically, interview waivers were still possible based on age (less than 14 years or more than 79 years), diplomatic nature of visa, and visa expiration within the last 12 months. However, the previously allowed interview waivers for visas expired between 12 and 48 months prior were no longer allowed.<ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy>{{cite web|url = https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/MPI_US-Immigration-Trump-Presidency-Final.pdf|title = Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency|publisher = Migration Policy Institute|last = Pierce|first = Sarah|last2 = Bolter|first2 = Jessica|date = July 1, 2020|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|87}}<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170728232427/https:/fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual; version as of July 28, 2017)|date = July 28, 2017|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]}}</ref>', 86 => '', 87 => 'On May 14, 2019, the Interview Waiver Program was suspended for all visa renewals in [[Nigeria]] (waivers for diplomatic visas would still be allowed); this suspension happened one month after news that the Trump administration has been considering new immigration measures to impose visa restrictions on countries whose citizens have a track record of overstaying beyond the validity of their short-term US visas.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://qz.com/africa/1618935/us-cancels-dropbox-visa-interview-waiver-in-nigeria|title = The Trump administration just made its first move in a clampdown on US visas for Nigerians|last = Kazeem|first = Yomi|date = May 14, 2019|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = Quartz}}</ref><ref name=mpi-on-trump-migration-policy/>{{rp|87}}', 88 => '=== Return to Obama-era state under the Biden administration; further expansion ===', 89 => 'In the wake of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the administration of President [[Joe Biden]], upon coming to power on January 20, 2021, received feedback to return the Interview Waiver Program to its Obama-era state, specifically, by allowing for interview waivers in the case of renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.presidentsalliance.org/letter-to-secretary-of-state-blinken-on-international-students/|title = Letter to Secretary of State Blinken on International Students|publisher = Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration|date = February 1, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>', 90 => 'In March 2021, the Biden administration incorporated the feedback and temporarily expanded the Interview Waiver Program to cover visa renewals for visas that had expired within the past 48 months (4 years) rather than just within the past 12 months (1 year); the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' 9 FAM 403.5 was updated to reflect this. The increase to 48 months was only effective till December 31, 2021. A special temporary set of interview waiver criteria for H-2 applicants, also available only till December 31, 2021, was introduced.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210318001952/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 18, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The change was implemented by several U.S. embassies and consulates shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ec.usembassy.gov/united-states-announces-increased-b1-b2-visa-validity-for-ecuadorians/|title = United States Announces Increased B1/B2 Visa Validity for Ecuadorians|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Ecuador|date = March 26, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=794698051171023|title = Consular Officer Melissa Sandoval told the media today that the Embassy’s Interview Waiver Program has been expanded. Sandoval explains that if your US visa expired in the last four years, you can apply in the same visa category.|date = March 23, 2021|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> There were minor modifications to the language through 2021.', 91 => 'In early 2022, the Interview Waiver Program was extended and expanded, with the sunset date being removed entirely for the ability to use an interview waiver for visa renewals within 48 months of expiry (the previous sunset date was December 31, 2021), and the sunset date for the temporary H-2 provisions being extended to December 31, 2022 (from December 31, 2021). In addition, two new cases were made eligible for the interview waiver: applicants for some visa categories who had previously issued any type of visa (until December 31, 2022), and some first-time applicants, specifically those from Visa Waiver Program countries who satisfied some criteria.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2022/01/flash-alert-2022-001.html|title = United States –Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Expanded, Extended Through 2022|date = January 5, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023|publisher = KPMG}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220209024935/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = February 9, 2022|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref> The expansion to first-time applicants from Visa Waiver Program countries had been mentioned in the June 2014 remarks by [[Michele Thoren Bond]] in the hearing on travel facilitation as an example of a potential future expansion of the Interview Waiver Program.<ref name=bond-statement/>', 92 => 'In December 2022, the temporary cases of the Interview Waiver Program, that were originally set to expire on December 31, 2022, were extended to December 31, 2023. Explicit exclusion of Nigeria from eligibility for some interview waiver categories was also removed around this time.<ref name=iwp-extended-to-december-2023/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230316101538/https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|date = March 16, 2023|accessdate = October 12, 2023}}</ref>' ]

[ 0 => '{{Blacklisted-links|1=', 1 => '*https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/', 2 => '*:''Triggered by <code>\bmurthy\.com\b</code> on the local blacklist''|bot=Cyberbot II|invisible=false}}', 3 => 'The '''Interview Waiver Program''' ('''IWP'''), also called the '''Visa Interview Waiver Program''', is a program managed by the [[U.S. Department of State]]'s Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants.<ref name=fam-9>{{cite web|url = https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040305.html|title = 9 FAM 403.5 (U) NIV INTERVIEW BY CONSULAR OFFICER (part of the Foreign Affairs Manual)|publisher = [[U.S. Department of State]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=guyana>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/guyana/19452/pdfs/ASK151-InterviewWaiverProgram.pdf|title = Ask the Consul Installment 151: Interview Waiver Program (IWP)|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America, Georgetown, Guyana|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=tashkent>{{cite web|url = https://uz.usembassy.gov/visas/non-immigrant-visas/nonimmigrant-visas-tourism-visit/interview-waiver-program/|title = Interview Waiver Program|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=matamoros>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/matamoros/231771/PDFs/interview%20waiver%20program.pdf|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = Matamoros Consulate General}}</ref><ref name=uk-embassy>{{cite web|url = https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-reissuance-program/overview-2/|title = Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name=jakarta-video>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP1rkryQZZM|title = Renewing Your Visa Using the Interview Waiver Program|publisher = U.S. Embassy Jakarta|date = March 4, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref>', 4 => 'An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]] asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the [[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952|INA]], 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|url = https://qz.com/895149/trump-is-suspending-the-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Trump just made it harder for tourists to visit the US|last = Yanofsky|first = David|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]}}</ref><ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/donald-trump-refugees-executive-order/index.html|title = Trump's latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more|last = Diamond|first = Jeremy|publisher = [[CNN]]|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref>', 5 => '== Conditions for the Interview Waiver Program ==', 6 => 'According to the ''[[Foreign Affairs Manual]]'' (FAM), 9 FAM 403.5-4, a consular officer may waive an interview for a visa applicant if any of these four conditions apply. Some of the content of the FAM is not available to the public.<ref name=fam-9/>', 7 => 'Not all embassies and consulates need to implement all the waiver criteria of the IWP. In particular, some consulates may implement the IWP for only a subset of the criteria, and may impose additional criteria. For instance, the embassy in Georgetown, Guyana has implemented the IWP only for the B-1/B-2, C-1/C2, and D visa types.<ref name=guyana/> Similarly, the consulate in [[Matamoros, Coahuila|Matamoros]], [[Mexico]] has set the age threshold for the age-based interview waiver for children at 7 years instead of 14 years.<ref name=matamoros/>', 8 => '=== Interview waiver based on age (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(1)) ===', 9 => 'If none of the grounds mandating an in-person interview apply, a waiver may be given to applicants who satisfy ''either'' of the following two conditions:<ref name=fam-9/><ref name=tashkent/>', 10 => '=== Interview waiver for diplomats or officials 9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(2)) ===', 11 => 'Interviews may be waived for ''either'' of the following visa types:<ref name=fam-9/>', 12 => '* Any of the following:', 13 => '** [[A-1 visa]] for ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, consular officers, and their immediate family members', 14 => '** [[A-2 visa]] for government officials, employees, their immediate families, their technical and support staff', 15 => '** [[C-3 visa]] for government officials and their families (the C-3 visa for attendants, servants, and employees is not eligible for an interview waiver)', 16 => '** [[G-1 visa]] for designated principal resident representatives of foreign governments and their staff and immediate family members', 17 => '** [[G-2 visa]] (similar to G-1 except that there is no work authorization)', 18 => '** [[G-3 visa]] (identical to G-2 visa)', 19 => '** [[G-4 visa]]', 20 => '** [[NATO-1 visa]]', 21 => '** NATO-2 visa', 22 => '** NATO-3 visa', 23 => '** NATO-4 visa', 24 => '** NATO-5 visa', 25 => '** NATO-6 visa', 26 => '** TECRO [[E-1 visa]]', 27 => '* Any applicant for a diplomatic or official visa as described in 22 CFR 41.26<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.26|title = 22 CFR 41.26 - Diplomatic visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> or 22 CFR 41.27,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.27|title = 22 CFR 41.27 - Official visas.|publisher = [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (mirrored on the website of the [[Legal Information Institute]])}}</ref> respectively.', 28 => '=== Interview waiver for renewals (within one year or 12-48 months after expiry) (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(3)) ===', 29 => 'Interview waivers can be used in cases of people reapplying for the same visa class that they previously held, if ''either'' of the following two cases apply and none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply:<ref name=fam-9/>', 30 => '* '''Renewals within one year''': An interview may be waived for an applicant applying for renewing a visa that is still valid or expired less than a year ago, if the applicant is seeking renewal of the visa in the same classification (same visa class and same category (principal or derivative)). For instance, an F-1 visa holder can get an interview waiver for a F-1 visa, but a F-2 visa holder cannot. Any biometric requirements must have been met when issuing the previous visa, or fulfilled separately to qualify for the interview waiver. Note that F, J, and M visa holders have to satisfy additional requirements as noted after the bullet points.', 31 => '* '''Renewal 12–48 months after expiry''': All the following conditions must be satisfied:', 32 => '** The visa must ''not'' be in the following categories: E visa, H visa, L visa, P visa, and R visa (note that F, J, and M visas have slightly different rules, as detailed after the bullet points).', 33 => '** The visa is being renewed between 12 and 48 months after the prior visa's expiration date.', 34 => '** The applicant must be a national or resident of the country in which he or she is applying for the visa', 35 => '** The applicant has met all biometric requirements', 36 => ''''Renewals for student and exchange visitor visas''': Student and exchange visitor visas ([[F visa|F]], [[J-1 visa|J]], and [[M-1 visa|M]]) can be renewed using either of the above two methods but need to satisfy ''both'' these conditions:', 37 => '* For F and M, either the program or the institution, or both, must be the same as for the original visa. For J visas, the SEVIS number must remain the same in order for the interview to be waived.', 38 => '* The applicant must be in status according to SEVIS, and, in case of any discrepancies between the current and previous visa applications, or for any other reason, an interview may be requested.', 39 => '=== Interview waiver for Argentines and Brazilians (9 FAM 403.5-4(A)(4)) ===', 40 => 'If none of the grounds for mandating an in-person interview apply, an interview may be waived for a first-time Argentine or Brazilian visa applicant in a visa class other than E, H, L, P, or R if ''both'' the following conditions apply:<ref name=fam-9/>', 41 => '* The applicant is a first-time Argentine or Brazilian nonimmigrant visa applicant who is younger than 16 or 66 and older', 42 => '* The applicant is applying in the consular district of his or her normal residence.', 43 => '=== Conditions in which personal appearance may not be waived (9 FAM 403.5-6) ===', 44 => 'Personal appearance may be waived for candidates who have been selected for interview based on randomization. There could be other reasons such as a past visa rejection, annotation of "Clearance Received" on the most recently issued visa, criminal record, history of immigration violations, or other red flags.<ref name=uk-embassy/> However, the full list of reasons is not made publicly available in the ''Foreign Affairs Manual''.<ref name=fam-9/>', 45 => 'The Interview Waiver Program works as follows. Applicants apply for a visa by filling in Form DS-160 online, just as they would for a visa application with an interview. If they meet the conditions for an interview waiver, then instead of asking to schedule a visa interview appointment, the online interface will provide information or require an appointment to drop off the materials and collect biometric information.<ref name=matamoros/>', 46 => '=== Rollout ===', 47 => 'The Interview Waiver Program has been rolled out gradually starting around 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/nogales/231771/PDFs/Beginning%20January%2010.pdf|title = Beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates will process visas differently|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref> The rollout has been incremental along two dimensions: the set of embassies and consulates where it is available, and the criteria for which an interview waiver is provided.', 48 => 'The IWP became available in [[India]] in March 2012 and its scope in India was expanded in November 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/interview-waiver-program-makes-visa-renewal-simpler/article3702254.ece|title = 'Interview Waiver Program' makes visa renewal simpler|newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = January 29, 2017}}</ref>', 49 => 'In a prepared statement at a hearing at the [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion|United States Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation]] on June 26, 2014, the [[U.S. Department of State]] Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs talked about the department's efforts to continue expanding the Interview Waiver Program to more applicants and use cases through better fraud detection techniques. One of the examples she gave was making citizens of [[Visa Waiver Program]] member countries eligible for the IWP when applying for other nonimmigrant visas. The statement also said that the Department of State looked forward to working with the [[United States Congress]] to pass legislation that would enable the Department of State and [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] to expand the program further.<ref name=bond-statement>{{cite web|url = https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|title = 06-26-2014: Statement of Michele T. Bond for the Hearing on The State of U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry: Federal Efforts to Attract 100 Million Visitors Annually|last = Bond|first = Michele|date = June 26, 2014|accessdate = January 29, 2017|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127011809/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about/speeches-testimonies/Hearing-on-Travel-Facilitation.html|archivedate = January 27, 2017}}</ref>', 50 => 'In November 2015, the IWP was expanded in India to cover people with [[H-1B visa]]s whose employer had changed.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.murthy.com/2015/11/13/expansion-of-visa-interview-waiver-program/|title = Expansion of Visa Interview Waiver Program|date = November 13, 2015|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Murthy Law Firm}}</ref>', 51 => 'IWP was still being rolled out to additional countries as of 2016.<ref name=algeria>{{cite web|url = https://photos.state.gov/libraries/algeria/401501/pdf2016/2016-04-10_Visa_Interview_Waiver_Program_EN.pdf|title = Visa Interview Program Launched!|date = April 11, 2016|accessdate = January 29, 2017|publisher = Embassy of the United States of America in Algiera, Algeria}}</ref>', 52 => '=== Suspension ===', 53 => 'An [[Executive Order 13769|executive order by Donald Trump on January 27, 2017]], issued a week after [[Donald Trump]] assumed the office of [[President of the United States]], asked for an immediate suspension of the Interview Waiver Program, pending review for compliance with Section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1222, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions.<ref name=qz/><ref name=cnn/> Dara Lind of ''Vox'' referred to the suspension of the IWP as the only concrete change to the visa screening process in Trump's executive order.<ref name=vox>{{cite web|url = https://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim|title = Trump's executive order on refugees closes America to those who need it most. It lays the groundwork for a fundamental shift in how the US allows people to enter the country.|last = Lind|first = Dara|date = January 27, 2017|accessdate = January 29, 2017|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref>', 54 => 'At around the same time as the executive order, Trump fired many key executives of the [[U.S. Department of State]], including [[Michele Thoren Bond]], who had delivered the statement about IWP in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/state-department-purge-trump-foreign-policy|title = Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy. The sudden dismissal of several senior officials has left a gaping hole at the heart of US diplomacy: 'The machinery is still there, but no one's in the cockpit'|last = Borger|first = Julian|date = January 29, 2017|accessdate = January 30, 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Her testimony was also removed from the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs.<ref name=bond-statement/>' ]

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