Post by : Raman

The United States has announced a major change in its visa policy that will affect a wide range of people who want to travel, work, or study in the country. The US State Department has said that all non-immigrant visa applicants must now schedule their visa interviews in their country of citizenship or legal residence. This new rule is effective immediately.

Previously, many applicants traveled to nearby countries to get faster interview dates. This was especially common for Indian citizens, who often booked appointments in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Germany, or other locations to avoid long waiting times at US consulates in India. The new rule closes this option, and applicants will now have to attend interviews in their home country.

The new policy impacts a large group of people. It includes tourists and business travelers applying for B1/B2 visas, students seeking F1 or M1 visas, temporary workers on H1B, H2B, or other similar visas, and even individuals engaged to US citizens applying for K1 visas. By asking applicants to attend interviews in their country of residence, the US government aims to streamline the visa process and ensure proper documentation.

For Indian applicants, this change comes at a time when visa appointment wait times are already long. Currently, wait times for B1/B2 visas in India vary widely. For example, Hyderabad and Mumbai have an average wait time of about three-and-a-half months, while Chennai sees wait times as long as nine months. Student visas are usually given priority, but applicants often faced delays during peak seasons. Many students and temporary workers will now need to plan well in advance to secure appointments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants often turned to nearby countries to find faster visa slots because the US consulates in India and other countries had very limited appointments. Some even traveled to Europe or the Middle East to get their visas. However, with this new policy, those options are no longer available. Exceptions are only made for applicants from countries where the US does not have regular visa services. For example, Russian citizens can apply in Astana or Warsaw, Afghan citizens in Islamabad, and Iranian citizens in Dubai.

The US government says that this step will help strengthen visa security and improve the efficiency of the interview process. By ensuring that applicants attend interviews in their home countries, the US can better verify documents and identities. It may also prevent misuse of visa slots in other countries.

However, this change could create challenges for applicants. Those who live in remote areas or smaller cities may need to travel long distances to reach their nearest US embassy or consulate. This could increase travel costs and add time to the application process. Students, temporary workers, and tourists will now need to carefully plan their visa applications to avoid delays.

The new US visa policy is a significant step for non-immigrant applicants. While it aims to improve security and make the visa process more organized, it also requires careful planning from applicants. Individuals applying for visas must now book their appointments in their country of citizenship or legal residence and prepare for possible travel to the nearest US embassy or consulate. The changes will affect millions of people, especially students, tourists, and temporary workers, who will now need to manage longer wait times and plan their applications ahead of time.

US visa policy, non-immigrant visa rules, visa interview changes, B1/B2 visa update, student visa rules