I had an interview at the U.S. consulate and I’m waiting for my visa. Here’s the question — if my passport expires before I get a decision, what then? Do I need to submit the whole set of documents again, or can I just renew my passport and will they transfer the application?
I had something similar, but at the Italian consulate — my old five-year passport stayed with them while I applied for a ten-year one. At first they strictly asked where the first one was; I explained the situation, and in the end they issued the new passport without even asking me to return the old one. I can’t say exactly how the U.S. visa office works, but in any case you need to notify them about the new passport — you can’t just wait silently.
3 Likes
Thanks, got it. Could you tell me roughly how long it takes to get a new passport? I’m worried I might end up right in that waiting period.
3 Likes
Passports take about two months to process; if you’re lucky — one and a half months. First they verify the information, then printing, then diplomatic mail to the consulate — and this last part depends a lot on how often it’s sent. Five-year passports are processed faster, I’ve heard, but I haven’t checked myself.
3 Likes