US - 10 year Visa common ?

[dsab]

Wife has been invited for a wedding in the US, and applied for the US Visa together with some friends of hers.

 

Now they had their Interview, and they all got issued 10 year Visas, without asking for it.

 

Is that common?

 

Most of the group were in the US before, some even studied there for some time. But 2 of them had never been there before. It might have helped that all of them went to Australia and Europe before.

 

Quite funny, as my wife always dreads the Visa application. If now the German and Irish embassy only would introduce this Visa. That would save loads of time and money. ::

[Guest lazyphil]

My Mrs got a 10 multiple entry B2 US tourist Visa last year, (at US Embassy in London) I'm pretty sure her UK resident visa and Austrian Schengen Visa already in the passport was a big help. The US embassy in London is quite imposing we said our fairwells at security outside and she was at the mercy of uncle sam for 3 hours or so alone ::

[Guest]

My sister-in-law got a 10 year, multiple entry visa in 2002. She was a student at the time without assets or job in Thailand. So, I think it is pretty common.

 

Khun Pad Thai

[ThaiHome]

ISince they started requiring interviews for every single [tourist] visa, even when the applicant had previously been issued one, the embassy has been issuing more multi year visas to avoid having to do interviews so much. My wife was issued a 3 month visa in 2002 (from Bangkok) without an interview, but later got a 5 year visa (from China), but was required to have an interview.

TH