80 Yr old Father Visa Expired 4 yrs back

[DM79 0]

Hello my father just turned 80 years and he wants to visit us. His Visa expired 4 years back right around covid time so he never renewed his visa. Have few questions.

 

1. Is he eligible for getting a Interview Waiver since he is 80 yrs

2. if he gets interview waiver how long does it take?

3. What are the options we have as far as quicker interview time goes if he does not get a waiver.

 

Thanks.

[powerpuff 6,598]

Age has nothing to do with getting an interview waiver or a faster appointment.

[DM79 0]

10 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

Age has nothing to do with getting an interview waiver or a faster appointment.

 

This is what I found on the US Embassy website

[powerpuff 6,598]

4 minutes ago, DM79 said:

 

This is what I found on the US Embassy website

What is the country?

[DM79 0]

38 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

What is the country?

India

[Pinkrlion 2,704]

You have to complete the visa application process and embassy will advise you if interview is waived. 

[Boiler 45,294]

You might have him check Travel Insurance, gets tricky once you hit 80.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

You might have him check Travel Insurance, gets tricky once you hit 80.

 

OMG it does. My Dad visits regularly and before 80 he had a great travel insurance through his bank which was something like $70 for the whole year. The second he turned 80 they wrote and said it no longer applied and they didn't insure over 80s. The best deal he could get for a yearly travel insurance was $800. He pays it because there's no other option. He comes over to see me about 3-4 times a year so it's worth it I guess!

[Boiler 45,294]

Actually that is not that bad a deal, gets worse as you accumulate age and issues. My Mum was paying the same as the Airfare for a 2 week trip.

 

Annual Insurance has a maximum trip length duration, I have been out of the biz for a long time and forget what the norm is.

 

 

[appleblossom 2,320]

On 8/22/2024 at 12:52 PM, DM79 said:

 

This is what I found on the US Embassy website

That’s not an official website, it’s a Google AI search result. This is the official info on the interview waiver criteria - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/important-update-on-waivers-of-the-interview-requirement-for-certaing-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants.html

6 hours ago, *Snowdrop* said:

 

OMG it does. My Dad visits regularly and before 80 he had a great travel insurance through his bank which was something like $70 for the whole year. The second he turned 80 they wrote and said it no longer applied and they didn't insure over 80s. The best deal he could get for a yearly travel insurance was $800. He pays it because there's no other option. He comes over to see me about 3-4 times a year so it's worth it I guess!

That’s an amazing deal! What kind of medical coverage does it offer? 

[*Snowdrop* 604]

On 8/23/2024 at 7:07 PM, appleblossom said:

That’s not an official website, it’s a Google AI search result. This is the official info on the interview waiver criteria - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/important-update-on-waivers-of-the-interview-requirement-for-certaing-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants.html

That’s an amazing deal! What kind of medical coverage does it offer? 

 

I'm not sure - I'm guessing it covers emergency care and repatriation to home country as soon as medically possible - that's usually the standard coverage when buying travel insurance in the UK - I don't believe it would cover any other kind of medical need apart from an emergency. He does have several existing medical conditions which I assumed also made it so high - I'm surprised to find that others think it's a good deal! Seemed very expensive to me after decades of just paying $50-70 a year!

 

And as Boiler said up thread it does have a limit to length of time per trip - he can't stay for more than 30 days - so usually comes for about 3 weeks at a time. 

 

Luckily (thank goodness) we haven't had to test it out yet in the last two years he's bought it. 

 

 

[appleblossom 2,320]

Just now, *Snowdrop* said:

 

I'm not sure - I'm guessing it covers emergency care and repatriation to home country as soon as medically possible - that's usually the standard coverage when buying travel insurance in the UK - I don't believe it would cover any other kind of medical need apart from an emergency. He does have several existing medical conditions which I assumed also made it so high - I'm surprised to find that others think it's a good deal! Seemed very expensive to me after decades of just paying $50-70 a year!

 

And as Boiler said up thread it does have a limit to length of time per trip - he can't stay for more than 30 days - so usually comes for about 3 weeks at a time. 

 

Luckily (thank goodness) we haven't had to test it out yet in the last two years he's bought it. 

 

 

 

Time limit would be fine as my parents and MIL don't come for more than than 2-3 weeks at a time max, but any with a decent amount of medical coverage to cover them if (God forbid) they were in intensive care was far more than that for an annual policy. My MIL paid at least twice that just for a short trip last time (no medical issues, she's 76). Would you mind sharing the name of the company please? 

[*Snowdrop* 604]

1 hour ago, appleblossom said:

 

Time limit would be fine as my parents and MIL don't come for more than than 2-3 weeks at a time max, but any with a decent amount of medical coverage to cover them if (God forbid) they were in intensive care was far more than that for an annual policy. My MIL paid at least twice that just for a short trip last time (no medical issues, she's 76). Would you mind sharing the name of the company please? 

 

 

Just asked my Dad - the first year he turned 80 and lost his old travel insurance he used StaySure and it was actually £1000, 

 

But last year he swapped to Nationwide through his bank account there. He pays £13 a month for the FlexPlus account and that allows him to get their annual travel insurance for £265 a year. 

 

 

 

 

[Boiler 45,294]

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/flexplus/travel-insurance/

 

Upgrade your travel insurance

There may be times when you may need to increase some of the limits or extend your cover.

Before you travel, make sure you have the upgrades you need to cover your trip. Aviva offer 4 different upgrades:

• cover for pre-existing medical conditions
• longer trip cover for trips over 31 days
• extended cruise cover
• increased cover for cancelling or coming home early

Any upgrades you buy are only valid while you qualify for FlexPlus travel insurance. They have the same terms and conditions as the standard policy.

To ensure you’re fully covered, consider buying your upgrade when you book your trip.

[appleblossom 2,320]

21 minutes ago, *Snowdrop* said:

 

 

Just asked my Dad - the first year he turned 80 and lost his old travel insurance he used StaySure and it was actually £1000, 

 

But last year he swapped to Nationwide through his bank account there. He pays £13 a month for the FlexPlus account and that allows him to get their annual travel insurance for £265 a year. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that. My parents have a Nationwide account (no idea if MIL does), but the coverage wasn't enough I think. I'll have look at StaySure though.