US clamps down on visa interviews for Indians, ends overseas option

The US Department of State has announced a new directive, effective immediately, mandating that all non-immigrant visa (NIV) applicants, including those from India, must schedule their interview appointments only in their country of citizenship or legal residence.

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This move closes the earlier loophole that allowed applicants to book slots in neighbouring countries with shorter wait times. The updated rules will apply globally, the State Department confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday.

“Effective immediately, the Department of State has updated instructions for non-immigrant visa applicants... They should schedule visa interview appointments at the US embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence,” the statement said.

How will this affect Indians?

The move will directly affect Indian applicants who, in recent years, have booked interview slots in countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Germany to bypass the long wait times at home. Under the new policy, Indians needing to travel urgently to the US will no longer be able to secure B1 (business) or B2 (tourist) visa appointments abroad.

That option has now been shut, except in limited cases where the US does not conduct regular non-immigrant visa operations. According to the State Department, nationals of such countries may apply at a designated embassy or consulate, unless they reside elsewhere. This exemption covers applicants from nations including Afghanistan, Cuba, Chad, Russia, Iran, and several others.

Industry experts warn that the new restriction could further aggravate India’s growing visa backlog. Earlier this year, wait times for B1/B2 visas ranged from 3.5 months in Hyderabad and Mumbai to five months in Kolkata, and an alarming nine months in Chennai.

No more overseas interviews

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when domestic backlogs caused wait times to stretch up to three years, many tourists had opted to schedule interviews overseas.

After travel resumed in 2021, travel agents noted that Indians frequently went to countries like Germany for B1/B2 visa appointments. At that time, with Indian wait periods for B1/B2 visas reaching 15–20 months, the US embassy in Frankfurt had even set aside specific NIV interview slots exclusively for Indian applicants.

Interview waiver program ends

On September 2, a new rule came into effect requiring all non-immigrant visa applicants to attend in-person interviews, following the US Department of State’s rollback of the Interview Waiver Program (Dropbox).

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Under this change, most applicants who were previously exempt must now appear at a US Embassy or Consulate for their visa interview. The update affects visa categories including H, L, F, M, J, E, and O, even for applicants over 79 and children under 14.