U.S. visa process gets easier for some Israelis

Currently, all visa applicants must have a personal interview.

Israeli passport [Illustrative] (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Israeli passport [Illustrative]
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Israel may not yet be on America’s Visa Waiver Program, exempting its citizens from a need for a visa to enter the US for up to 90 days, but it is now on the US’s Interview Waiver Program.
Under a plan announced by the US Embassy on Thursday, Israelis with valid visas, or whose visa has expired within the last year, will be able to renew it without having to go through another interview with an embassy or consular official.
According to the announcement, rather than traveling to the US Embassy or consulate and going through the interview process again, the applicants can simply go to the embassy’s website and complete their application by following the instructions online.
Currently, all visa applicants must have a personal interview where the US authorities determine if the candidate poses a risk for staying past their legal limit or working illegally in the US.