Inside Biden-Harris White House and Africa: U.S. waives in-person interviews for several visas

The United States government?announced ?on Thursday that it was temporarily suspending through December 31, 2022, in-person interviews for certain visas, including work, special education visitors, athletes, artists, and entertainers.

“We are pleased to announce that consular officers are now temporarily authorized, through December 31, 2022, to waive in-person interviews for certain individual petition-based nonimmigrant work visas and their qualifying derivatives in the following categories: Persons in Specialty Occupations (H-1B visas), Trainee or Special Education Visitors (H-3 visas), Intracompany Transferees (L visas), Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement (O visas), Athletes, Artists, and Entertainers (P visas), and Participants in International Cultural Exchange Programs (Q visas),” the U.S. State Department said in a statement, adding that it “recognizes the positive impact of temporary work visa holders on the U.S. economy and is committed to facilitating nonimmigrant travel and reducing visa wait times.”?

Thousands of people have been waiting at U.S. embassies for interviews because of various delays caused by the coronavirus restrictions and government policies. The new policy by the Biden administration is another step to ease travel to the United States. And that's our top story today.

Simon Ateba, Publisher and White House Correspondent for Today News Africa in Washington DC

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U.S. temporarily waives in-person interviews for certain visas including work, special education visitors, athletes, artists, and entertainers

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