NASSAU, Bahamas, March 19,2019 — Contrary to media reports on March 18, 2019, the interview waiver program is already in place in The Bahamas, and has been for several years, the United States Embassy in Nassau has announced in an article on its website.
“Under the interview waiver program, those who are renewing a previous U.S. visa, or who meet certain other age-related criteria, may qualify for a waiver of the visa interview,” the announcement noted. “Eligibility is determined based on the answers provided to questions during the appointment scheduling process. However, consular officers reserve the right to require an interview for any visa applicant.”
The announcement added: “The U.S. government is the only source of accurate information regarding U.S. visas and the U.S. visa process. The U.S. government is dedicated to making the process as transparent and straightforward as possible.
You maybe be eligible for the interview waiver program if you meet the following criteria:
You are under the age of 14 or older than 79 years of age.
You have a previous U.S. visa in the same class as the visa which you seek to renew;
Your fingerprints have been taken previously;
You have no refusals for a visa in any category since your most recent visa issuance;
If I applying for a B1/B2 or C1/D visa, your prior visa in the same classification is still valid or expired within the last 12 months; and
Your prior visa is not annotated “Clearance Received.”
For more facts about the visa process and other U.S. policies, please see the U.S. Embassy website https://bs.usembassy.gov
“The public will also have an opportunity to ask questions during a Facebook Live event streamed live on U.S. Embassy Nassau’s Facebook page on Monday, April 1, 2019, at 2:00 pm,” the announcement concluded.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The article related to this issue that was published in BAHAMAS CHRONICLE on March 15, 2019 — under the heading, “US VISA RENEWALS JUST GOT EASIER WITH NEW INTERVIEW WAIVER INITIATIVE” — was not related to the U.S. Embassy’s “visa-granting” policies in The Bahamas, but rather on an announcement made in Trinidad and Tobago by US Ambassador Joe Mondello, in a video statement, noting that “Trinidadians and Tobagonians will now be able to benefit from a new Renewal Interview Waiver initiative.”
“If your tourist visa is expiring or has been expired less than a year, you no longer have to come to the embassy for an interview. All you need to do now is fill out your application online before your Visa expired more than a year. The application process will let you know if you qualify for Interview Waiver,” Ambassador Mondello was quoted as saying.
A version of that story was published simultaneously in virtually all of the major newspapers in CARICOM-member countries, from which BAHAMAS CHRONICLE daily selects articles for publication. Based in Washington, D.C., BAHAMAS CHRONICLE was launched more than a year ago to keep Bahamians and nationals from other CARICOM-member countries living in the Diaspora up-to-date on important news from their respective countries, and we have developed a huge following across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Having said that, we are sure that many Bahamians were not aware that the U.S. visa renewal interview waiver policies announced in Trinidad and Tobago were already available in The Bahamas; therefore, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is to be congratulated for “setting the record straight” on this issue.
