How to renew US visa: A step by step guide

Did you know, the United States gets nearly 1 million visitors from India for tourism and business every year?¹ Whether it is for work, study, to see family, or to visit the great cities of the US, there are plenty of reasons to keep discovering this big and diverse country. But renewing a visa can sometimes feel more confusing than it needs to be.

The US government requires you to go through the whole visa application process every time you apply for a visa. Even for renewal or even if your visa is still valid. But for nonimmigrant renewals, you may not need to interview again. Read on to learn more about how the visa renewal process works.

How do I renew my US visa?

Here are the steps to follow for renewing your US nonimmigrant visa³.

Step 1: You can apply online and complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form. Once you’re done with the form, print and save your confirmation page with the bar code.

Step 2: Next you will need to register an account on the US Embassy’s secure portal. Read, follow the steps and answer carefully to schedule an interview.

You may qualify to get your interview waived if you can answer “yes” to all the points on the US embassy’sinterview waiver checklist. This includes items like if you are applying for the same class of visa as your previous one, your most recent visa was issued in India, and you received it after 2008, and more.

If you are below the age of 14 or above 80 years old, you are also waived from appearing for an interview.

Step 3: Next, you will be asked to pay the visa fee online from a bank account. The fee amount will depend on your visa category.

Step 4: If you do qualify for an interview waiver, then you will receive a submission letter with a document checklist. Print the letter and drop it off with your passport and the listed documents, including a photo from within the past 6 months, to one of the 11 service centers in India on your scheduled date between 10am-4pm.⁴

The staff at the embassy will review your documents before accepting your renewal application.

If any additional information is required, you will be notified by email. And if your application is approved, your passport and visa will be delivered for pickup at the Document Collection center you selected.

Can I renew my US visa after it expires?

Yes, you can. You also don’t have to wait until it expires to renew it again. You can submit an application for a new visa while the current one is still valid⁵. But, of course, ensure your visa must be valid at the time you are entering the US.⁶

How long does it take to renew a US visa?

It can take 7-10 business days for a decision from the date when the documents were submitted.⁷

How much does it cost to renew a US visa?

The cost to renew a visa is the same as applying for a new one. Most commonly for nonimmigrant visas, the fee is $160. But see the table below for the current breakdown.⁸

As always, the visa application fee is non-refundable and non-transferable and must be paid even if your application gets rejected.

Something to keep in mind- the RBI has instructions that all Indian banks are closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month. This could affect the US visa fee payment system as well.

Save with Wise when you send money abroad

If you are doing an NEFT payment for visa payment, make sure that you keep the unique account number to serve as proof of payment in order to schedule your visa appointment.⁹ With Wise, you always get the real exchange rate. That means that the rate you see on Google is the rate you get on your transfer. No surprises or markups. And then it's just one low-cost upfront fee. Try our honest comparison calculator to see how much you can save for INR to USD transfers by switching to Wise.

Over 5 million people have used Wise to send international payments all around the world. You can sign up for Wise for free and send money abroad with the real exchange rate and one low upfront fee. So whether it is for visa payments or travel arrangements or new school books, you can send money directly into a local bank account with getting charged as little as possible. You might want to start packing your bags, with Wise, your next trip can be sooner than you think.

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