Q: My non-immigrant visa was approved yesterday. When and how will I retrieve my passport?

A: All relevant visa documents will be returned to you through the service you selected when you scheduled your interview appointment, either pick up at point-of-service (POS) location or delivery address. Once the US Consular Section turns over the visa documents to the courier, it takes up to three business days for the documents to be ready.

Document return service using a pickup location

Applicants are notified by email when visa documents are ready for pickup at the selected POS. Applicants must pick up their documents within 30 days or the items are returned to the Consular section. Applicants also must prove their identity using one of the following methods:

• Applicants 18 years or older must bring the following to the selected POS: An official form of identification (that is an official/state ID card or driver’s licence) and the airway bill number.

If the applicant cannot present any of the previously mentioned forms of identification, he/she will be asked for an original birth certificate for the agent at the POS to make a copy and attach it to the proof of delivery file. The agent will also review the information from the passport to make sure that the document is being handed to the applicant in question.

To retrieve a child’s visa, parents must provide:

• A copy of the child’s birth certificate or adoption decree (with at least one of the parents’ full legal name displayed on the document);

• Parental proof of identity by presenting one of the documents listed above with a matching name on the child’s birth certificate or adoption decree.

Adult applicants may authorise a third party to retrieve their passport documents. The third party must present the following documents:

• An applicant-signed letter of authorisation that contains the third party’s full legal name with a justice of the peace or a notarised power of attorney signature.

• A photocopy of one of the applicant’s identification documents listed above.

• The third party must also identify themselves with one of the documents listed above. The name on the identification must match the name on the authorisation letter.

Home or office delivery service

The courier will attempt to deliver your package up to two times to the requested address. If the courier is unable to make a successful delivery, the courier will return your package to the Document Service Centre (DSC) in Kingston. You will have to pick up your documents from the DSC within 30 days.

When delivering to a home address, the courier will only release the parcel to an adult who is willing to sign for the documents.

When delivering to a business address, the courier will release the parcel to the personnel authorised to sign for packages.

For more information about visa document courier services visa visit: ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv/information/courier

Q: I am a Cayman Islands resident that was granted a US visa. Should I return to Kingston to retrieve my passport?

A: Residents of the Cayman Islands who have been approved visas have two options for return delivery of their passports. At no additional charge, they may make arrangements to have DHL deliver the passport to an address in Jamaica. If an applicant must return to the Cayman Islands immediately, they may return home and make arrangements with DHL in Cayman to have the passport mailed to the Embassy in Jamaica and include a prepaid airway bill for the passport to be returned to them once the visa is processed.

Embassy Kingston will provide applicants with step-by-step instructions to complete the process.

Q: My neighbour renewed his US visa without appearing for an embassy interview. How was he able to do that?

A: Applicants of certain age groups or those who are renewing a previous US visa may be eligible to apply for a visa without attending a consular interview. Eligibility will be determined as the applicant goes through the process of scheduling an appointment through the official US Department of State Visa Appointment Service website. The determination will be made based on the answers provided to the qualifying criteria. This renewal programme is only available to individuals who are renewing full-validity visas that expired within a year. For Jamaicans and Caymanians, a full-validity visitor visa is valid for 10 years, and a full-validity C-1/D crew member visa is valid for five years.

If you had a limited visa that was valid for less than full validity (only a few months or a couple of years) then you must go through the regular application process, which includes an interview with a consular officer. Similarly, if your visa expired more than one year ago, you may not participate in the expedited renewal programme. The embassy strongly encourages renewal applicants to take advantage of this service and to share this news with friends and family. Many applicants wait at the embassy for an interview when they could have bypassed the line. Don’t let this happen to you; save yourself some time by scheduling a renewal appointment.

For more information on all of these questions, go to jm.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/ and the Department of State’s travel website www.travel.state.gov Keep on top of Embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica/ and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.