I am a US Citizen here in the USA and my in-laws are Russian citizens in Russia. They have had (2) US visa's in the past when they came to visit us, with the most recent being a multi-entry 3 year visa. It expires in December and we want to renew it. I saw there are ways to renew it without an appointment in the embassy if certain criteria are met (obviously embassy appointment in Russia is non-existent due to geo political circumstances/staffing). Does anyone have any insight into how this works? I've tried asking USTravelDocs in the past, but their responses can take weeks and never really answer the question.
The alternative of going to another country isn't possible, as the ones that don't require another visa are either not accepting NIV applicants, or the wait is excessive (1 year). Also, the process of trying to obtain a Schengen visa and going to Europe is a bit much. They are older and on a limited budget, so realistically, some way of renewing it would be ideal!
Thanks!