The US Embassy in Kenya has introduced a waiver for the need for interviews for eligible applicants whose visa has expired within a year.

The US Embassy Deputy Consul General Eliot Fertik said the waiver is part of the reviews on visa processing procedures at the Embassy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During an interview on Capital FM’s Drive-in show on Thursday morning, Fertik said the Embassy is also working on gradually increasing capacity and the number of appointments for the visa processing procedures.

In response to significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State temporarily suspended routine visa services at all U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

On Wednesday, the US government announced a new policy that requires anyone visiting the country from November to have been vaccinated.

And during the interview on Capital FM, Fertik said there will be very few limited exceptions for US citizens and Green Card holders.

He said the US government was in the process of ascertaining which exact vaccination will qualify for one to be granted access.

“If you plan to enter the U.S you will need to be vaccinated by November. Some of the details of these are still being worked out, for example which exact vaccination will qualify will be determined by the Center for Disease Control,” he said.

Currently, visitors only require having a negative Covid-19 test that should be taken not more than 72 hours before gaining entry to the US.