Renewing or Extending Your US Visa

If your 10-year B1/B2 visa has expired or is close to it, there’s a good chance you don’t need to go through a full consulate interview to get a new one. This guide covers who currently qualifies for mail-in renewal, what changed in 2025, and exactly how the process works from DS-160 to getting your passport back.

Key Facts

• Eligible category: B1/B2 visas only, renewing into the same category
• Validity window: still valid, or expired within the last 12 months (some posts set their own limit on how early a still-valid visa can be renewed)
• Fee: $185, same as a standard application
• Where documents go: the drop-off location or courier service designated by the US embassy or consulate where you apply
• Processing time: varies by embassy or consulate
• No interview required for qualifying applicants, though the consulate can still call you in

Who Qualifies for Mail-In Renewal

The Interview Waiver Program (IWP) lets certain B1/B2 holders renew without visiting a consulate in person, provided all of the following hold:

• Your prior visa was a B1/B2 and you’re renewing into the same category
• It was issued at full validity when you received it
• You were 18 or older at the time it was issued
• It’s either still valid or expired within the last 12 months (some posts also limit how far ahead of expiry you can apply)
• You have no prior visa refusals and no record of overstaying or violating your previous visa’s terms
• You’re applying in your country of nationality or usual residence

If your visa expired more than 12 months ago, or you don’t otherwise meet these conditions, you’ll need to file a standard new application instead — which typically does require an interview. Our guide to applying for a US visa covers that process from scratch.

What Changed in 2025

Two separate changes reshaped this process over the course of 2025, and it’s worth understanding both since a lot of outdated information about “48-month renewal” still circulates online.

First, mid-2025, the renewal validity window was tightened from 48 months down to the current 12 months. Before that change, a B1/B2 visa that had expired up to four years earlier could still qualify for mail-in renewal — that’s no longer the case.

Second, later in 2025, the State Department narrowed interview waiver eligibility much more broadly, removing it for most other nonimmigrant categories, including several employment and exchange visas. The B1/B2 same-category renewal path described in this guide was specifically preserved through that change, under the conditions listed above — but it’s a narrower, more conditional exception than it used to be, not a guaranteed waiver for every returning visa holder.

How the Mail-In Process Works

Unlike a standard application, renewal doesn’t book you an interview slot — it books you a document drop-off appointment instead:

1. Complete the DS-160 form, filled out for renewal rather than a first-time application.
2. Pay the $185 fee using the payment options listed for the country where you apply.
3. Book an appointment through your consulate’s official appointment system. This reserves a date for submitting your documents, not an interview.
4. Send your documents to the appropriate location by your appointment date.
5. Wait for review. The consulate evaluates your file and either approves the renewal, requests an interview, or in rare cases, refuses the application.

Required Documents

• DS-160 confirmation page
• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned travel
• A biometric photo (600×600–1200×1200px, per the standard DS-160 photo spec)
• Proof of the $185 fee payment

Supporting documents relevant to your situation can strengthen the file, but resist the urge to send an oversized packet — a cluttered submission tends to slow down review rather than speed up approval.

Sending Your Documents

Each US embassy or consulate sets its own submission method, and you can only use the one designated for the country where you’re applying. Common arrangements include:

• In person at a designated document drop-off location, by a set time on your appointment date
• By courier, through the service your embassy or consulate has designated, by your appointment date

The exact locations, cut-off times and packaging rules are listed on the embassy or consulate website and in its appointment system, so check them before you prepare your documents.

How Long Does Renewal Take?

Processing times vary by embassy or consulate and with seasonal demand. The State Department’s visa wait-times page shows, for many posts, how soon you can book a document drop-off for an interview waiver case; the consulate’s review and the return of your passport take additional time on top of that. If your renewal is approved without an interview, your passport is returned with the new visa printed inside, following the standard delivery process.

Can You Still Be Called In for an Interview?

Yes — qualifying for mail-in renewal doesn’t guarantee you’ll skip an interview entirely. The consulate reviews every file and can request one at its discretion, most often when something in your travel history or documentation needs a closer look. If that happens, it isn’t itself a sign of a likely refusal; refusals through the mail-in renewal channel are uncommon overall, and being called in mainly means the consulate wants more context before deciding.

Get Help With Your Visa Renewal

Filling out a renewal DS-160 correctly, and being ready in case you’re called in for an interview, both matter more than most applicants expect. Request a free pre-assessment and we’ll help make sure your renewal goes as smoothly as possible.