Attention! The Trump Administration’s new immigration law, in force since 2017, changed the interview exemption rules, created during the Obama administration. From now on, the criteria to qualify for the Visa Interview Waiver are:
– Request renewal of a visa that expired less than 12 months ago (previously the deadline was 48 months)
– Children aged 13 or under (previously, teenagers aged 14 or 15 did not need to attend the interview. Now the age has changed)
– Elderly people over 80 years old (previously, those between 66 and 79 were also exempt from the interview.
Apart from the changes in the profile of those who qualify for the exemption, the rest of the procedure remains the same and is described in the post below, which has been updated with the new rules.
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Many people have questions about how to apply for a US visa for children or elderly people because the procedure changes a little from the standard. In fact, the whole process becomes much simpler, as children under 13 years and 11 months and over 79 years and 11 months do not need to attend one of the mandatory stages for everyone else: the consulate interview.
If you are one of those people who qualify for the interview exemption or need to obtain a visa for someone like that, here is a short tutorial on how to proceed.
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Children under 13 and over 80 do not need to have an interview at the consulate
As I said, Brazilian citizens applying for a B1/B2 visa (business or tourism) who are up to 13 years of age or over 80 are exempt from attending the United States consulate for the interview. They fall under the consulate’s interview exemption program.
Let’s make things clear: this does not mean that the visa will be automatically granted nor that the consulate cannot, if it deems it necessary, invite that person to appear there. They may, in exceptional cases, request the presence of these people, but this is very rare. And the exemption is only valid if the applicant has never been refused a visa before. If this has already happened, the person’s presence in the process is required.
Attention: Teenagers aged 14, 15, 16 or 17 must attend the interview and, therefore, must follow the standard procedure. See our tutorial here. It is recommended that a guardian accompany the teenagers to the interview, although this is not a requirement. If one of the guardians cannot go, it is recommended to send another adult with a notarized letter of authorization from the country.
Attention 2: If the applicant has already had a passport stolen or lost, he does not qualify for the interview exemption program, unless he has already received a US visa after the incident.
Attention 3: If one of the child’s parents has a U.S. passport, the child does not qualify for an interview exemption and must be scheduled for both the CASV and consular interview.
To apply for a US visa with an interview exemption, you will need:
1. Complete a DS-160 form. We have a post explaining how to do it.
2. Pay the visa fee and schedule the day of your visit to CASV.
3. On the day of the visit, one of the parents (can also be a dispatcher or anyone – including relatives such as uncles, grandparents, etc. – who can do this) must appear at CASV, bearing:
– The applicant’s valid Brazilian passport – Visa fee payment receipt (MRV) – DS-160 form confirmation page – A recent 5×5 or 5×7 white background photo. The photo must comply with these embassy specifications. – If the applicant is renewing the visa, also include the passport with the old visa. – A country authorization letter is not mandatory, but can be included as a supporting document for better results.
4. If everything goes well, the process ends here. Good luck!
It is not necessary to present a power of attorney from the parents to submit documentation for minors at CASV
