A: Each Individual must meet IWP eligibility independently

Our regular readers are aware that certain applicants with nonimmigrant visas issued on or after January 1, 2008 are eligible for the interview waiver program (IWP) to renew their visas without having to appear for a personal visa interview with the consular officer. IWP eligibility criteria is available on the official visa information website of the U.S. Mission in India.

While scheduling the IWP appointment, one should keep in mind that each applicant, either belonging to a dependent family or group member must qualify for IWP on their own. If any individual family member or member of a group is not eligible under the renewal criteria, it is advisable to remove the individual from the family or group before proceeding to schedule the appointment under IWP. 

B: Eligibility for IWP

The most important eligibility for IWP is that the applicant’s previous visa is either valid or expired within the past 12 months. It is to be noted that the previous visa expiration should be calculated from the date of submission of documents with the U.S. visa application center.

We will continue to bring more updates or clarification regarding IWP when it is made available.