Visa Renewal related question

[flniks]

Hello,

I was in US from 2004-2012 under F1 visa (and for a few months under OPT) for MS & PhD degree. I am now applying for B1/B2 Visa along with my parents. For my parents it is renewal as previous visa was also B1/B2.

Now when we completed the form on www.ustraveldocs.com/in, it was filed under my fathers name with me and my mother as dependent. With my father's details, it said we don't have to go for visa interview and it allowed us to schedule interview only for finger print & photo at OFC.

From the rules mentioned on US govt. website, it seems I would actually need to attend consular interview, but their online system did not allow us selecting a data for visa interview at all.

Should I just go to OFC as their online system suggests? Any advice will be greatly helpful!

[Mogu]

Hello,

I was in US from 2004-2012 under F1 visa (and for a few months under OPT) for MS & PhD degree. I am now applying for B1/B2 Visa along with my parents. For my parents it is renewal as previous visa was also B1/B2.

Now when we completed the form on www.ustraveldocs.com/in, it was filed under my fathers name with me and my mother as dependent. With my father's details, it said we don't have to go for visa interview and it allowed us to schedule interview only for finger print & photo at OFC.

From the rules mentioned on US govt. website, it seems I would actually need to attend consular interview, but their online system did not allow us selecting a data for visa interview at all.

Should I just go to OFC as their online system suggests? Any advice will be greatly helpful!

The online system logic is not perfect. If you have not been fingerprinted before, then you need to go. Even if you have, you should go since the OFC step is necessary in all cases. But you likely need to be there at at the consular mission for interview. You are changing visa type AND it's been many years since your last one expired (rule is 12 months max).

You can try e-mailing ustraveldocs and explaining your situation. I'm not sure if OFC would do anything. You'll probably end up scheduling a separate appointment for yourself.