Interview waivers being gra... | Lippes Mathias LLP

Interview waivers being granted for certain E visas applicants in Canada

February 4, 2021 | Immigration Blog

Our office has received reports that the U.S. Consulate in Toronto has begun granting interview waivers to E visa holders who are seeking to renew their E visa status. It is our hope that this will help to alleviate the significant backlog created in E visa applications over the past 10+ months, due to the suspension of services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Where company registrations have also lapsed due to the service suspensions and extended time frame for E visa adjudication, Consular staff has indicated that it will also re-register companies in the Canada E Visa Program.

Every foreign national seeking an E visa must apply in person and be interviewed by a consular officer, unless a specific exception allows for waiver of the interview requirement. While waivers were historically granted for certain renewal applicants meeting defined criteria, Consular staff have not been willing to grant many waivers for the past several years. All waivers are granted at the discretion of Consular staff.

No specific request appears to be needed, to qualify for the waiver; the U.S. Department of State is notifying eligible applicants of the waiver by email, and directing them to submit the appropriate documents (passport, fee, photos, etc.) by mail, for visa printing and processing.

We encourage all E visa applicants in line for adjudication through the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, ON, Canada to check their email frequently for updates from the Consulate regarding their visa waiver eligibility.

Please reach out to your LMWF immigration team with any questions about this blog or with any other immigration questions.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from our firm or the individual author, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

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