Renew My Visa
On this page:
Overview
The following visa types, under some circumstances, may be renewed without personal appearance of the applicant at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate for an interview: B (Tourism/Business), F (Student), M (Vocational and non-academic students), I (Journalist), J (Exchange visitor), D and C1 (Transit/Crewmember), H (Temporary worker), L (Intercompany Transfer), O (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), P (Performer visa). Additionally, some governments allow their citizens to travel with a valid visa in an expired passport, provided the traveler also has a valid passport. If your government allows travel with a valid passport and a combination of an expired passport that has a valid visa, then the U.S. government will allow you to enter the United States with your old passport containing a valid visa and your new, valid passport.
Nonimmigrant visas issued for the following purposes of travel may not be renewed through this program:
- C1 Transit Visa previously issued for purposes other than employment with an airline or cruise ship;
- J1 Summer Work and Travel Program visas;
- F1 visas previously issued for short term English language study;
- Subsequent L1 visas based on a new I 129S form;
Qualifications
You may submit your visa application at Pony Express as an interview waiver submission and proceed without a consular interview if you meet all of the following qualifications:
Renewal of a B, C, D, F, I, J, M and O Visas
- All ten fingerprints were captured at a prior consular interview
- Your previous visa is currently valid, or has expired within the last 11 months
- The application is for the same type of visa as the current/previous visa
- The current/previous visa was issued by either the U.S. Embassy in Nur-Sultan or U.S. Consulate General in Almaty
- The applicant is physically present in Kazakhstan and normally a resident of Kazakhstan
- Your visa does not have Clearance Received written on it
Renewal of H, P and L Visas
- All ten fingerprints were captured at a prior consular interview
- Your previous visa is currently valid, or has expired within the last 11 months
- The application is for the same type of visa as the current/previous visa
- The current/previous visa was issued by either the U.S. Embassy in Nur-Sultan or U.S. Consulate General in Almaty
- The applicant is physically present in Kazakhstan and normally resident in Kazakhstan
- Your visa does not have Clearance Received written on it
If you don’t meet all the conditions above please schedule an interview appointment.
Note: Using the interview waiver service does not guarantee visa issuance. In some cases, you may be required to appear for a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate, for example, if you submit an incomplete and/or inaccurate application. Average processing time for this service is two weeks.
How to Apply
Step 1
Pay the visa application fee.
Step 2
Complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form. Print and save your confirmation page.
Step 3
Register an account on this page. Follow the steps to schedule an interview. Answer the questions in step 7 carefully. If you meet the requirements for interview waiver submission, you will receive an interview waiver submission letter. Print out your interview waiver letter and collect the following documents:
- DS-160 confirmation page
- Your current passport
- Your current or most recent visa,if you still have it in your possession
- Printed interview waiver letter
- One photograph taken within the last six months (conforming to the guidelines on this webpage). Failure to submit a valid photograph will delay the processing of your case.
- Two copies of the document checklist.
- Other documentation required for your visa type
Step 4
Deliver your sealed visa application to a Pony Express office. Bring the second copy of your document checklist with you. A Pony Express employee will review your document checklist before accepting your application for delivery to the U.S. Embassy/Consulate.
Note: Reciprocity fees may apply. These are fees another country charges a U.S. citizen for a similar type of visa. The Department of State's website has more information about reciprocity fees and can help you determine if this fee applies to your nationality.