Withdrawing a Visa Revalidation Application

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs

Withdrawing a Visa Revalidation Application

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Visa revalidation processing currently takes approximately 10-12 weeks from the date the application is data-entered in the Visa office in Washington.

The Visa Office receives an extremely large volume of visa revalidation applications and adheres to a strict first-received, first processed policy for all applications. It is not possible to expedite individual cases.

If you anticipate a need to travel during the time it will take the Visa Office to revalidate your visa, you should apply for your visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas.

The Visa Revalidation Division remains committed to quality and timely visa revalidation services. At this time, however, revalidation application volume precludes our ability to retrieve individual cases as quickly as either you or we would like.

If you need to withdraw your application after it has been submitted, we will do our best to locate and return you passport to you as soon as possible. Please do not send follow-up faxes to withdraw an application. Return of your passport and documents may take approximately five (5) working days from the time your fax is received in the Revalidation Division. Courier/postal service return of the passport to you will take additional time. We appreciate your patience.

You should note your airbill or tracking number to use in contacting the courier service/U.S. Postal Service for status information. The Visa Office does not provide status information on when an application was withdrawn or when the passport was returned to you. The Visa Offices does not track outgoing envelopes or packages. The Visa Office cannot provide your airbill or tracking number to you if you do not have it.

Once you ask us to return your passport, do not send us a subsequent fax canceling your request.

Withdrawing A Visa Revalidation Application

If you must withdraw your visa revalidation application, please fax your request to the Visa Revalidation Division at 202-663-1608. The fax must include:

Applicant's name (as written in the passport), date and place of birth, and nationality,
Visa category (e.g., E, H, I, L, O, P),
Method sent (e.g., FedEx, Express Mail, DHL, World Courier, UPS, Priority Mail, etc.),
Date the Department of State received the package,
Name and return address on envelope, and
Telephone and/or fax number of someone to contact if there are difficulties locating the application.

The nonimmigrant (NIV) visa application processing fee of US$100 is not refundable. If you paid a visa issuance reciprocity fee, the U.S. Treasury will refund it to you. If you make a subsequent application for a new visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad you must pay a new NIV application processing fee. If you do not reapply for a visa at the Visa Office within one year from withdrawing your application, you must pay a new NIV application processing fee.

(October 2003)