Changes in the US Visa application for Ecuadorians

The immigration policy of the President of the United States Donald Trump also brings changes for Ecuadorians who are interested in applying for a visa to the North American country. These modifications to the application process were confirmed yesterday, February 1, 2017, by the US embassy, which issued a statement on its website.

Regardless of the requested type of visa for the US country, changes to the statutes and requirements for applicants come into force immediately, said Johana Villalobos, press attaché of the US Embassy.

Villalobos explains that the main modification was made to the interviews. “With immediate effect, the Embassy and the Consulate will require an interview for all visa applicants in Ecuador.” The persons who meet the following requirements are exempt from this measure:

– Applicants who previously had a visa in the same category and that expired less than 12 months before the new application. Previously, this term used to be four years.

– Applicants for diplomatic and officials visas of foreign governments and international organizations.

– Applicants under the age of 14 and over 79 years. Before the executive order, the exception was extended for children under 14 whose parents had a valid visa for five years and applicants over 80.