Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Department of State has announced big changes to its program for waiving interviews for nonimmigrant visas. These changes will go into effect on September 2, 2025. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently sent out a press release with more information about these new rules. They are a change from a policy that was in place on February 18, 2025, and will generally require most applicants, including those under 14 and over 79, to have an in-person interview.
The main goal of the policy change is to make national security stronger. But it has already made international tourists and immigration experts worried that processing times may go longer and visa applicants may have a harder time getting them.
Stricter Rules for Waiving Interviews
Under the new rules, most people who apply for a nonimmigrant visa will have to go through a consular interview. There are just a few exceptions to this rule, and they only apply to people who are applying for certain types of visas:
There are A-1, A-2, C-3 (but not attendants, servants, or personal employees of accredited officials), G-1 through G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-6, and TECRO E-1 visa categories for diplomats and officials.
Renewals of Specific Visas: One big exception is for people who are renewing a full-validity B-1 (business visitor), B-2 (tourist visitor), B1/B2 (combined business/tourism) visa, or a Mexican Border Crossing Card/Foil. To get this waiver, the renewal must to happen within 12 months of the last visa’s expiration date. The applicant must also have been at least 18 years old when the previous visa was given and must be applying from their home country or the country where they live.
Even for these specific types of renewals, applicants must meet additional requirements. For example, they must not have been denied a visa before (unless that denial was later overcome or waived), and there should be no clear reason why they are not eligible for the visa. It is important to note that consular officers have a lot of freedom to require an in-person interview for any reason they see fit on a case-by-case basis.
Reasons and worries from experts
The Department of State stressed that this change in policy comes after immigration processes have come under more scrutiny because of changing global security concerns. The extra freedom given to consular personnel is meant to let them deal with specific dangers more effectively.
The USCIS’s previous notice repeated this point: “Consular officers may still require in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis or because of local conditions.” We suggest that people who want to apply for a visa visit the websites of the embassies and consulates to find out more about the requirements and steps for applying. They can also find out more about the embassy or consulate’s hours of operation and services.
Immigration experts are already looking into what these changes mean, though. Steven Brown, an immigration lawyer in Houston, warned applicants that they could have to wait “longer.” Brown said on X (previously Twitter), “My reading of this is that they are basically getting rid of Dropbox (interview waivers) for most categories.” This will make it take longer to get an appointment and make it far less efficient to renew visas. It makes no sense to require interviews for kids as well.
This change to the rules replaces the modification from February 18, 2025, which made more people eligible for an interview waiver. The fact that the restrictions are getting stricter right now shows that the U.S. government is being more careful about giving out nonimmigrant visas.
US Tightens Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers, Reversing Recent Policy
