U.S. Embassy & Consulates
in France

Interview Waiver

Visa applicants who meet all six criteria below may be eligible to renew their visas by mail, without a visa interview:

1. Normally reside in France
2. Are physically present in France
3. Already have a U.S. visa issued by U.S. Embassy Paris that is valid or has expired within the last 48 months and wish to renew your visa of the same classification (e.g. a holder of a recently expired J visa may NOT renew and get a B1/B2 visa)
4. You have never been refused a visa, unless the refusal was overcome or  waiver of ineligibility was granted.
5. Your visa and passport has not been lost, stolen or revoked and
6. Your prior visa was not annotated with “Clearance Received”.

E visa applicants only.  To apply for a Treaty Trader (E-1) or Treaty Investor (E-2) visa through the Interview Waiver Program, you must submit the required documents as outlined here: Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) Visas – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in France (usembassy.gov).

J and F visa applicants only.  In order to apply for a visa through the Interview Waiver Program, you must have the same SEVIS number as when the visa was originally issued.

French citizens: When you register for a visa appointment and pay the fee, the online appointment system will determine if you qualify for the Interview Waiver program. If qualified, the system will provide instructions on how to submit your passport, application, and related documents to the Embassy via courier. This option is not available for applicants outside of France or in overseas French territories.  To determine if a reciprocity fee is required for your application, go to the reciprocity fee website and select your visa category under Visa Classifications to see if a fee is listed.

Citizens of countries other than France: When you register for a visa appointment and pay the fee, the online appointment system will determine if you qualify for the Interview Waiver program. If qualified, the system will provide instructions on how to submit your passport, application, and related documents to the Embassy via courier. Eligible applicants who do not hold a French passport must submit a copy of their valid French residency card (carte de sejour) and may be required to pay a reciprocity fee in addition to the standard visa fee.

Additional Information:

• To determine if a reciprocity fee is required for your application, go to the reciprocity fee website  and select your country of nationality on the left, then select your visa category under Visa Classifications to see if a fee is listed.
• The principal applicant of a Blanket L petition may have to pay an additional fraud prevention and detection fee of $500 USD.
• If you are applying for an H or L visa and an additional fee is required, you will be contacted by email.
• Be sure to include documents required for the specific visa type and any documents that require new signatures.