The US Department of State has allowed a 48-month period (of visa expiry) for dropbox eligibility instead of 12 months. There is no end date to this rule at this time.
There was a time when obtaining a visa at a U.S. Consulate entailed submitting your biometrics and appearing in person for an interview. Except for those who qualified for a waiver of the visa interview requirement, everyone must appear at a visa interview.
But in recent years, getting visas has become easier thanks to the introduction of the US Visa Dropbox.
Nowadays, many travellers favour this channel because they believe it is quicker, more convenient and seamless.
What is the meaning of US Dropbox Visa?
US visa Interview waiver is the term used for the dropbox facility. This means that you can get a US visa stamp without any personal interview by a US visa officer.
Dropbox is also called a mail-in facility in countries like Australia, Canada, Denmark, and others.
There is no box as such but you need to submit your documents to the VFS location assigned by the US embassy. The facility to submit documents without an interview is called ‘DropBox’.
Dropbox Processing time varies from 1 day to 6 weeks. We strongly recommend keeping a buffer of at least 3 weeks after dropping your application as you can be called for an interview. Many applications also receive form 221g which can delay your passport.
Details of US Visa Dropbox.
Chances are you are already familiar with this channel. Just in case you haven’t heard of it but intend to renew your visa to the US (including an F1 visa), then you should consider the US Visa Dropbox facility.
- To reiterate, the dropbox method takes away the need for you to appear physically for your visa interviews. Instead, you can simply submit all your visa-related documents and get a U.S. visa stamp without attending an interview.
- Not too long ago, only visa holders whose prior visas were still in effect or had recently expired could use the U.S. Visa DropBox service. However, in August 2020, the U.S. Department of State expanded the eligibility criteria to include prior visas that expired after 48 months.
Eligibility for US Visa Dropbox Application.
The applicant must have previously received a US non-immigrant visa that expired within the last 24 months, or will expire in the next three months from the date of application.
- The previous visa was issued in Nigeria.
- The previous visa was a full-validity, multiple-entry visa.
- The applicant is applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa.
- The applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime in the United States.
- The applicant has never worked without authorization or overstayed in the United States.
How to get a U.S visa via Dropbox.
To get your US visa via Dropbox, you need to do the following-
- Determine if you are eligible for the Dropbox process. You must also meet the requirements for the type of visa you are seeking.
- Collect all required documents: You will need to gather all the documents required for your visa application, including your passport, a completed visa application form, and any supporting documents that demonstrate your purpose for travelling to the United States.
- Pay the visa application fee. You will need to pay the visa application fee online before you can submit your application.
- Schedule an appointment. You will need to schedule an appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country to submit your application and documents. You can schedule your appointment online through the U.S. Department of State’s website.
- Submit your application: On the day of your appointment, you will need to bring your completed application and all required documents to the U.S. embassy or consulate. You will also need to pay the visa application fee.
- Wait for a decision: After you submit your application, the embassy or consulate will review it and decide on your visa. You will be notified of the decision by mail or email.
It’s important to note that the Dropbox process is not available for all types of visas. You may need to attend an in-person interview if you are applying for the first time or if your precious visa expired before or after 48 months. It’s also important to check the current U.S. visa policies and procedures, as they may change over time.
U.S. Dropbox Visa FAQs.
[saswp_tiny_multiple_faq headline-0=”h4″ question-0=”What is the age requirement for US Visa Dropbox?” answer-0=”Age Between 14 to 80 years. You are eligible for the Dropbox facility if you can answer YES to all these questions” image-0=”” headline-1=”h4″ question-1=”What is Dropbox for U.S. Visas?” answer-1=”If you are renewing your existing U.S. visa and meet certain eligibility criteria (discussed below), you don’t have to attend an in-person visa interview conducted by a U.S. visa officer. You can simply submit all your visa-related documents and get a U.S. visa stamp without attending an interview. The facility or process used to apply for your visa renewal without the visa interview is known as the U.S. Visa DropBox. There isn’t an actual box for the U.S. Visa DropBox. The facility to submit documents without an interview is just called “DropBox.”” image-1=”” headline-2=”h4″ question-2=”Why is Dropbox Eligibility Being Extended?” answer-2=”As a result of COVID-19, many U.S. Consulates aren’t fully functional yet. Even though the U.S. Department of State announced U.S. Consulates could open from July 15, 2020, many Consulates aren’t fully operational. Each Consulate has to adhere to its country’s local lockdown regulations. So, most U.S. Consulates are only making limited appointments and aren’t open to normal visa operations yet. To help with adherence to the different countries’ lockdown regulations and to avoid unnecessary public risk and exposure, the U.S. Department of State has decided to relax the eligibility requirements for the U.S. Visa DropBox facility until 48 months.” image-2=”” headline-3=”h4″ question-3=”What is the US Dropbox Visa Stamping Processing Time?” answer-3=”Dropbox visa processing can take between 3 to 21 days. ” image-3=”” headline-4=”h4″ question-4=”Can US Embassy call for a visa interview after Dropbox?” answer-4=”The US embassy can call you for a visa interview after you have dropped your documents. There is no need to take a visa interview appointment if they call you.” image-4=”” headline-5=”h4″ question-5=”U.S. visa dropbox tracking” answer-5=”In order to retrieve and track your US dropbox visa application, and check the status of your application any time, visit this website: https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx. Please wait at least three business days following your visa interview to check on the status of your application.” image-5=”” headline-6=”h4″ question-6=”Can visa be rejected in Dropbox?” answer-6=”If you have submitted your documents for US Visa stamping using the Dropbox option for renewals, like H1B Dropbox, then you may see “Administrative Processing” as the status on the CEAC website. Sometimes, due to the issue we described in the article above, you may also see the “Refused” status as well.” image-6=”” headline-7=”h4″ question-7=”How do I know if my visa is approved?” answer-7=”Check the Status of Your Visa You can check the status of your application any time at this website: https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx.” image-7=”” headline-8=”h4″ question-8=”U.S. visa dropbox eligibility in Nigeria” answer-8=”The United States has extended the eligibility period for drop box or interview waiver for non-immigrant visa renewals in Nigeria. The waiver, which began in March, had an eligibility period of 24 months. In a statement on Friday, the US embassy said the eligibility period has now been extended to 48 months.” image-8=”” headline-9=”h4″ question-9=”Is DropBox available in Nigeria now?” answer-9=”Dropbox service now available for students seeking visa renewal, says US Embassy. The United States embassy said yesterday that the dropbox service for Nigerian students seeking to renew their visas in the country was now available.” image-9=”” headline-10=”h4″ question-10=”Is US visa DropBox available in Nigeria?” answer-10=”Document Drop-off: Applicants can only drop off Interview Waiver (IW) applications at the DHL Ikeja and DHL Isolo locations: DHL Ikeja is located at: Ground floor of Trinity Mall (79, Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos State). DHL Isolo is located at: House, Airport Road Junction, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.” image-10=”” count=”11″ html=”true”].
