Editor's Review

The US Embassy in Nairobi has handed a relief to Kenyans applying for US visas.

The US Embassy in Kenya has announced an expanded interview waiver for Kenyans applying for tourist, business, student or crew US visas.

In a statement on Friday, September 16, the embassy announced that Kenyan citizens applying for the visas in the mentioned categories may be eligible for a renewal without an interview.

According to the US Embassy, the move was party of US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman’s pledge to reduce the nonimmigrant visa interview appointment backlog.

The embassy further added the expanded interview waiver was effective immediately.

Meg Whitman.

“As part of Ambassador Whitman’s pledge to reduce the nonimmigrant visa interview application backlog, the United States Embassy in Nairobi announced today that it has expanded the Interview Waiver Program for nonimmigrant visas.

"Effective immediately, those applying for tourist/business (B1/B2), student (F, J, M), or crew visas (C1/D) categories may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview," read a statement by the US Embassy.

The embassy, however, stated that for one to qualify for the waiver program, they must be applying for the same visa category and their visa should not have expired more than four years ago.

Previously, the limit was one year.

Whitman on August 7 said that the visa backlog situation had caused unnecessary hardship and her goal was to address the problem as quickly as possible.