Renewing a B1/B2 US visa while abroad

[TQA]

I am currently in Eastern Caribbean and my US B1/B2 visa is about to expire. I know I have to renew it through Barbados but it is not clear if I have to go through the interview process again. Looking at the main page for this it seems that I qualify for the interview waiver program but when I look at the Barbados page there is no mention of this. Also they suggest that they routinely refuse applications from people outside their ' home ' countries.

Has anyone from the UK renewed their B1/B2 visa outside the UK ?

Were there any gotchas ?

This is a good time to do it but I don't like leaving the boat during hurricane season.

I

 

[bjl]

I don't think it follows that because you are in the Eastern Caribbean you have to renew your visa through Barbados. For example, I went through the process in the Dominican Republic.

I don't know about any interview waiver program.

 

[TQA]

If I have to go through the interview part again then Barbados is the closest but If I can do it by post then there is no reason not to go to London where I applied for the first one 10 years ago,

I have got a headache trying to make sense of the US gov web site.

 

[Chalker]

I got a headache trying to make sense of the US.[/QUOTE]

Corrected it for you.

 

[KellysEye]

As far as I can work out you can renew a B1/B2 visa in Barbados, Jamaica and Curacao. When we renewed ours in the UK we had to go to the embassy I don't know about the Caribbean it would be worth calling the embassy to check.

London is a nightmare now, there is usually a long queue outside the embassy and you are asked questions about why you want the visa before being let into the embasy. Then you go into a hall packed with people and wait then you are called to a window are asked the same questions and finger printedt then you wait. Then you are are called to another window where the finger prints are checked and you are asked the same questions and your passport is stamped with the visa. It took hours.

 

[Stingo]

Never heard of the interview waiver. Anyway, I renewed mine in Trinidad, which I think is closer to you than Barbados, and it was relatively painless considering that you're dealing with the US gubbermunt.

 

[TQA]

Never heard of the interview waiver. Anyway, I renewed mine in Trinidad, which I think is closer to you than Barbados, and it was relatively painless considering that you're dealing with the US gubbermunt.

Thanks Stingo I had not thought of Trinidad.

The interview waiver does exist for renewals as far as I can see but I still have to go to an Embassy to get my fingerprints scanned., well I think I do. My head hurts after wading through all the small print.

The thing that is concerning me is this notice on the Barbados US embassy web site

With rare exceptions, visa applicants temporarily visiting our consular district should apply at the U.S. Consular Section in their country of residence. If the applicant is not a resident of the Eastern Caribbean, interviewing officers at the U.S. Consular Section in Barbados may not have experience in evaluating the circumstances in the applicant's country of residence. The applicant will, therefore, have greater difficulty establishing eligibility for a U.S. visa when applying in Barbados than would be experienced in the applicant's home country.

Many visitors to the Eastern Caribbean are denied visas under these circumstances. Consequently, we strongly urge visitors to this region to apply for U.S. visas in their country of residence.

 

[KellysEye]

I forgot Trini in my visa list, details of application are here: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-tt/niv/information/niv

 

[Jeannius]

Also they suggest that they routinely refuse applications from people outside their ' home ' countries.

Has anyone from the UK renewed their B1/B2 visa outside the UK ?

I

We got B1/B2 for the first time by going to Barbados. We were living in the BVI at the time and that didn't create a problem. We took the boat down and just sat there for the week until the process was complete.

 

[RobbieW]

We got B1/B2 for the first time by going to Barbados. We were living in the BVI at the time and that didn't create a problem. We took the boat down and just sat there for the week until the process was complete.

Ditto Lisbon about 5 years ago (though I wasnt living in the BVI just passing through Portugal on the way S ). Whilst there probably isnt a problem with being out of home country the risk may be that the fee is not refundable if they do turn you down

 

[Bajansailor]

I enjoyed meeting MIke & Jean on Jeannius when they sailed down here (Barbados) to renew their visas - this was quite a few years ago now.
It is a long slog though for TQA to sail up here from the Windwards, and especially so from Grenada.

I have generally found that sailing folk from Britain who have applied for visas here have been successful - I haven't heard of any rejections.
Contrast this to the success rate for West Indians applying for visitors visas for the USA - I would guess that less than 20% are approved. And RobbieW, it does not matter where you come from, if they reject your application you do not get the fee refunded (and it is not cheap - I think it is currently around US$ 160 per person).

 

[TQA]

Even though my old lady goes to windward pretty well I will sail up to St Lucia and wait till the wind goes into the NE before trying to make Barbados by boat.

But LIAT makes the trip in a fraction of the time and slightly less chance of a late arrival.

Still trying to get confirmation on what I have to do to get the renewal. The US embassy in Barbados were very non committal.