The United States Embassy in Nairobi has expanded the Interview Waiver Program for non-immigrant visas in an effort to reduce the application backlog.
Through a statement, the Embassy said that those applying for tourist/business (B1/B2), student (F, J, M), or crew visas (C1/D) categories may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview.
“To qualify for this program, you must be applying for the same visa category, and your visa cannot have expired more than four years ago,” the Embassy stated.
This comes after US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman promised to expedite the visa application process for Kenyans seeking the permit.
In her first media address, Whitman said that the US embassy was aware of the long waiting time and to has promised to come up with a solution.
“I am aware of the very long waiting times that Kenyans experience when applying for visas to the US. The situation is unacceptable. We need to find ways to expedite those VISA applications. I promise you that we (the US Embassy in Kenya) will find ways to accelerate the process. That will be one of my top priorities,” Whitman told the media.
“The Embassy will see through this as soon as possible,” she added.
The move comes after Kenyans complained of long waiting periods and non-refundable application fees.