Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
It is permissible to have eye contact with the people of the opposite sex unless that brings up the level of sexual intimacy.
Answering your question, Sheikh Kifah Mustapha, the Imam and Director of The Prayer Center of Orland Park and representative for Dar El Fatwa of Lebanon in the US, states:
Allah Almighty said: {Tell the believing men to reduce (some) of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what they do.} (An-Nur 24:30)
As you can see, the verse spoke about lowering your gaze and the letter (min) in Arabic relates to part reduction or some, not all.
The other point is that you can see that it is followed by guarding your private parts; so that gives an idea to what type of lowering your gaze is all about.
If looking at the other gender in a way that brings up the level of sexual intimacy, then it is forbidden and that what is meant to be avoided.
Also we have another verse that spoke about what a woman can show of her body, meaning it is not of private to be covered. Allah said: {and tell the believing women to reduce (some) of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which (necessarily) appears thereof.} (An-Nur 24:31)
Scholars said that the face and hand palms of a female can be exposed which relates that they can be seen by the other gender, with the condition of avoiding intimate feelings.
Almighty Allah knows best.