The Visa Interview Waiver Program or the Dropbox service enables applicants for a US visa to submit their visa application without appearing for a visa interview with a United States Consular Officer.
This service allows the US consular officers to prioritize and speed up the process of visa approval for certain applicants. This has made the visa stamp processing for certain categories, such as the H1B visa, more efficient.
What applicants need to know is that the Visa Interview Waiver process is very different from the usual Visa Waiver Program or the visa stamping process. The Visa Waiver Program or VWP allows citizens of certain nations to travel without a visa to the US for a certain time period. However, the Dropbox service allows applicants to get their visas without the need to appear for a visa interview, hence speeding up the entire process.
Eligibility Criteria
You are eligible to apply for an Interview Waiver Program or the Dropbox service only if you meet the eligibility criteria, including:
- You should have previously visited the United States with a valid H1B visa and you wish to renew the same.
- Your previous H1B visa was issued after January 1, 2008, in India.
- You have never experienced rejection for a US visa of any category.
- If you are applying for an H, J or L visa, your previous visa in the same category should still be valid or have expired in the last 12 months.
- If you are applying for B1, B2 or C1V visa type, your previous visa in the same category should either be still valid or have expired in the last 48 months.
- Your previous visa isn’t marked with “Clearance Received.”
The process of Application for H1B Visa Dropbox
It is important that you clearly understand the entire process of applying for an H1B visa Dropbox and fill the forms accurately. The steps for applying basically include:
- Fill the Non-Immigrant Visa Electronic Application or Form DS-160.
- Pay the required visa fee.
- Register for an online account.
- Schedule an appointment at an Offsite Collection Services (OFC) office to submit your biometrics and photograph.
If you qualify for the Dropbox service, you will be issued a submission letter and provided instructions for submitting your application at the Team Stanley office via Dropbox or through the Offsite Collection Service (OFC).
Documents Required for H1B Visa Dropbox
While applying for the H1B visa Dropbox, you will need to submit some important documents, such as:
- A valid passport.
- Your most recent US visa.
- A copy of the Dropbox letter.
- A recent passport-size photograph.
- Recent payment slips from your place of employment.
- Bank statements, including your transaction, for the last 12 months, while working in the United States.
- Names and contact numbers of managers at your current and previous offices in the US.
- Tax forms, such as 1040 and W-2 for all the years that you have worked in the US.
Failing to submit all the required and supporting documents on time can delay the processing of your case. Applicants should also know that using the Dropbox service doesn’t guarantee that you will get an H1B visa without appearing for an interview.