US EditionUS Tightens Nonimmigrant Visa Rules Effective ‘Immediately’. What Does This Mean for Indians?
Indian nationals must now attend in-person visa interviews in their home country, ending prior ability to seek faster appointments abroad; wait times in India reach up to nine months, officials said.
- On Saturday, the U.S. Department of State said non-immigrant visa applicants must book interviews in their country of citizenship or legal residence, covering all NIV categories including B-1 and B-2 visas, effective immediately.
- The practice known as 'visa shopping' had Indian nationals travel to Thailand, Singapore, Germany, or Brazil earlier this year due to post-Covid backlogs and interview waits up to nine months in Chennai.
- The State Department added most non-immigrant visa applicants must have in-person interviews, with exceptions for children under 14 and adults over 79, and `Applicants must be able to demonstrate residence in the country where they are applying, if the place of application is based on their residency`; Earlier this month, the U.S. introduced a $250 Visa Integrity Fee.
- Indians who relied on overseas appointments can no longer secure quick B1/B2 slots abroad, and existing appointments generally will not be cancelled, yet industry experts warn new restrictions could worsen the backlog.
- The updates align with the Trump administration's broader policy to tighten visa rules and reinforce border security, though narrow exceptions exclude countries without routine NIV operations and diplomatic categories.
13 Articles
13 Articles
US visa rule changed: Interviews restricted to country of citizenship; move to impact Indians
The US Department of State has announced a new rule that requires all non-immigrant visa (NIV) applicants, including those from India, to schedule their visa interviews only in their country of citizenship or legal residence. This change is meant to stop the earlier practice where applicants would try to book interviews in neighboring countries to avoid long wait times. According to a statement released on Saturday, this updated policy will appl…
US Tightens Visa Rules: No More Quick Appointments Abroad For Indians
The US Department of State has issued a directive- effective immediately - requiring non-immigrant visa (NIV) applicants, including Indians, to set up their interview appointments exclusively in their country of citizenship or legal residence.
New US short-term visa rule means longer waits for Indians
The US Department of State has introduced a new rule requiring visa interviews to be held in the applicant's home country. This move ends the practice of scheduling interviews in third countries, raising concerns about longer wait times in India.
Planning a US visit? Join the visa queue, wait time up to 9 months in India; Trump changes rule
The Trump administration made its B1/B2 visa rules more stringent as they announced that those seeking the visa will not be allowed to book interviews abroad, making Indian's wait as long as 9 months for visas
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
