Post by : Raman

The United States Department of State has announced a major change in the process for applying for non-immigrant visas (NIV), which will directly affect Indians and many other foreign nationals. Effective immediately, all applicants must schedule their visa interviews in the country where they hold citizenship or legal residence. This new rule comes after years of applicants, especially Indians, arranging interviews in other countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Germany to avoid long domestic wait times.

What the New Rule Says

According to a statement released by the US State Department on Saturday, “Effective immediately, the Department of State has updated instructions for non-immigrant visa applicants. Applicants should schedule visa interview appointments at the US embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence.”

This change will be applied globally, and it means that the previously used method of booking interviews in nearby countries with shorter wait times is no longer allowed.

Who Will Be Affected

The new rule has a direct impact on Indian applicants who previously traveled to Singapore, Thailand, Germany, or other countries to schedule US visa interviews faster. Many Indians had been using this workaround to avoid long waiting periods in India.

Under the new policy, Indians and other foreign nationals will no longer be able to schedule B1 (business) or B2 (tourist) visa interviews in other countries unless there are exceptional circumstances. Exceptions include situations where the United States does not conduct routine non-immigrant visa operations, such as in countries like Afghanistan, Cuba, Chad, Russia, and Iran. In these cases, nationals or residents may apply at a designated embassy or consulate outside their country of citizenship.

How This Will Affect Indians

Industry experts warn that this restriction may increase the already long wait times for visas in India. Earlier this year, the wait for B1/B2 visa appointments varied significantly:

• Hyderabad and Mumbai – around 3.5 months

• Kolkata – 5 months

• Chennai – up to 9 months

With the new rule, applicants cannot bypass these wait times by going to embassies in other countries, making planning urgent trips to the US more challenging.

The Old Rule

In the past, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Indians scheduled visa interviews in countries like Germany to avoid long delays at home. At that time, domestic wait periods for B1/B2 visas in India reached 15–20 months, while some overseas embassies, like the US embassy in Frankfurt, held specific slots for Indian applicants.

After travel restrictions eased in 2021, this method became a popular way for Indians to get faster appointments for business and tourist visas.

Recent Changes to Interview Rules

On September 2, another important rule came into effect. The US Department of State scaled back the Interview Waiver Program (Dropbox) and now requires in-person interviews for the majority of visa applicants. This includes most visa types, such as H, L, F, M, J, E, and O visas, even for applicants above 79 years old or children under 14.

Previously, certain applicants could skip in-person interviews if they met specific criteria under the Dropbox program, but that option has now been reduced significantly. As a result, most people will need to visit a US Embassy or Consulate in person, adding to the time and effort required for visa processing.

What This Means

For Indian travelers, this change could create additional hurdles, especially for those planning urgent travel to the United States for business, education, or tourism. Travel agents and industry watchers expect that domestic embassies and consulates in India will see a higher volume of applications, likely extending current wait times further.

This new system ensures that visa applicants go through the official process in their home country, which the US government believes will improve the integrity of the application process. At the same time, it ends the previous practice where applicants would book appointments overseas to avoid domestic backlogs.

US visas, Indian applicants, non-immigrant visa, B1 visa, B2 visa, visa interview, US embassy