Effective August 25, 2020 through December 31, 2020, the United States Department of State has expanded the field of individuals eligible for visa renewal to those who have had a valid visa expire within the last 24 months. The previous requirement was to have had a valid visa expire within 12 months.
Accordingly, the Consular Section of the United States Embassy in Costa Rica may find you eligible for a visa renewal without scheduling a physical appointment at the Consulate if you meet the following criteria:
- You wish to renew a full-validity (ten year) B1/B2 U.S. visa that is currently valid or has expired within the last 24 months.
- You are a citizen or legal resident of Costa Rica
- You have never resided unlawfully in the United States or otherwise violated U.S. laws.
You are not eligible for a visa renewal appointment if you meet any of the following criteria:
- You have never had a U.S. visa.
- Your last U.S. visa expired more than 24 months ago.
- Your last valid visa was canceled or revoked.
- Your previous visa was limited to a single entry or to a period of validity that was less than ten years.
- You did not provide fingerprints during your previous visa application.
- You wish to apply for a visa in a different visa class than your previous visa. For example, you had a B1/B2 visa, but now you wish to apply for a F-1 student visa.
- You do not hold a valid Costa Rican passport or residency card.
- You are applying for more than one visa at the same time. For example, you are applying for both F and B1/B2 visas.
- You lost your previous passport that had a valid or expired U.S. visa, or it was stolen.
If you believe you are eligible for visa renewal and would like to apply, please follow the steps outlined in the “Visa Renewal Process through Drop Box” portion of this webpage.
