Requirements For American Visa In Uganda

Interview Waiver – Simplified Visa Renewal Program

If you already have a U.S. visa, you may be eligible to renew your visa through a simplified process.  If approved, the new visa will be ready, on average, within 10 business days. You do not need specific travel plans to renew your visa.

There is no special application for the simplified visa renewal program, also called the interview waiver program After you complete your DS160 visa application form and pay your visa appointment fee, you will log back into the system to schedule your appointment. You will be asked questions that will determine if you are eligible to renew your visa through the simplified process. (Note that all applicants are screened for the simplified renewal process). If you are found eligible for the simplified renewal process, you will be asked to schedule an appointment to drop off your documents at U.S. Embassy Kampala. The appointment wait time for the simplified process is considerably less than the wait time for in-person interviews.

Using the simplified process does not guarantee visa issuance. Embassy Kampala reserves the right to request that an applicant appear in person for an interview. Please note that you should always wait until you have a valid visa in-hand before booking any non-refundable travel.

Conditions for Eligibility

To qualify for the interview waiver simplified visa renewal program, applicants must meet all of the following conditions:

You must be a Ugandan citizen
You must have previously provided ten fingerprints when interviewed for a prior visa at U.S Embassy Kampala.
Your previous U.S. visa must be currently valid or must have expired within the last 36 months.
Your previous visa must not have been lost, cancelled, stolen or revoked.
Your name on the form must be exactly the same as on the current DS160 application as it was on the prior DS160 application.
You must have never been arrested or convicted of a crime; deported from or denied entry to the United States.

The interview waiver visa renewal program applies to tourist, student, or exchange visitor visas (B1, B2, B1/B2, F1, F2, J1P, J1W, J2P, J2W, M1 or M2 visa categories). If you have never held a U.S. tourist, student or exchange visitor visa, you are not eligible for the interview waiver visa renewal program.

Expedited Emergency Appointment Requests

Due to the large demand for visa interviews, U.S. Embassy Kampala cannot accommodate all requests for expedited appointments. However, we will do our best to grant them for urgent medical treatment, death of a family member, business travel (in limited circumstances), or for students with strict travel deadlines. Conventions, conferences, graduations, and family visits do not usually meet expedite criteria. We usually respond to requests within one business day.

To request an expedited visa appointment, complete the DS160 online application form and schedule a regular appointment on the closest date available. Then, sign-in to your account, click “Continue”, select “Request Expedite” and follow the instructions. See the FAQ on the scheduling website for more detailed information. Note that U.S. Embassy Kampala does not expedite appointment requests via email.

The Visa application process has two major steps.

Step 1: Complete the visa application form (DS 160) and submit it. Each visa applicant should have a separate DS 160 form, including children. Link: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

Step 2: Create an account on the visa payment and scheduling website by following this link: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ug/niv/users/sign_in. Fill all the required fields and generate a fee deposit slip with all the banking information. Print the deposit slip and take it to any Centenary Bank branch to make the payment for the visa interview. After effecting the payment, allow 24 – 48 hours and get into your account again to schedule the visa interview appointment.