EternalForeigner

My parents just got their immigrant visas (IR-5) and the annotation says: "UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR" so they're clearly still doing endorsment stamps.

Thanks. After submitting the DS-160 and going through the USTRAVELDOCS site for the fee payment and interview scheduling, there was a general questionnaire (some of which are specific for those who reside in Bahrain) that determined the application was eligible for a renewal without an interview, though of course they maintained we might be contact for an interview at any time and that we wouldn't be allowed to schedule an appointment as it stands. And the questions included: Is the applicant applying to renew a B1/B2 visa that has not been expired for more than 48 months? Do you and everyone applying with you have a prior 5-year (or full-validity for your nationality), B1/B2 US visa? Is your visa, and the visa of everyone applying with you, still valid or has it expired within the past 48 months?

My understanding is that this means the application has to be lodged before 48 months have passed since the last visa expired, not that the application would be made within 48 months of the visa expiring. I don't imagine a lot of people would apply for a new visa if it's the same category and there are at least 48 months of validity in it. I'd be happy for some clarification, especially from those who've said they went through the interview waiver process. This would be in Bahrain not Saudi.

Does that determination happen before an actual interview takes place? I’m asking because I’m not sure how an interview waiver manifests itself. Especially since the wait times also say “interview waiver applicants” so I reckon that means even they still need to make appointments?

The person we’re applying for (a tourist visa renewal) has a history of both B2 and F visas and their last visa is expired less than 48 months and has no prior refusal or anything else listed up there. So I thought they’d be eligible in this case.

What’s a D3?

I appreciate the response!

I read that there are certain eligibility criteria for tourist visa interview waivers as per the State Dept guidance here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/important-update-on-waivers-of-the-interview-requirement-for-certaing-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants.html Is there any part of the DS-160 that asks about the interview waiver’s criteria or is it something that will be determined automatically after the application is submitted?

I posted before that my parents’ case is waiting to get scheduled for an appointment at the US embassy. But I was wondering if anyone knew what should be done about this year’s taxes. I still haven’t filed them since the deadline is in April, but since it’s tax season, do I need to file them and upload a new tax return for this year and upload a new I-864, or should I just leave everything as is?

I didn't know if this belongs here or on the embassy/consulate subforum so feel free to move it if it's in the wrong place. We submitted the rest of the paperwork for parents of US citizen sponsorship back in October and we got this email today: It's great news that the application is going to the embassy, but as far as I know, we have not requested expedited processing of the visa application. Is this something routine that might get sent? I'm asking because I don't want for there to be an issue during the interview indicating that we need to show proof of the reason to request expedited processing (since as far as I know we didn't request such a thing). Also, might this be indicative that the paperwork we submitted might be sufficient for the process? I know there are no guarantees for that, but we never received an RFE from the time everything was submitted until we got these emails. So I'm wondering if this means the paperwork is possibly enough for the interview to go smoothly without asking for more things barring any sudden changes. I appreciate any insight anyone might have on this.

This isn’t specific to this subforum but it relates to a family member though the question is for any similar situation: if a new immigrant gets their MRIV immigrant visa, can they be processed for official admission into the U.S. and get an I-551 stamp at U.S. reclearance airports such as Abu Dhabi, Dublin or the many Canadian airports? Or does it have to happen at an airport in the U.S. itself?