...
By Alia Shoaib
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The State Department has announced new rules requiring immigrant visa applicants to attend interviews in their country of residence from November 1, with limited exceptions.
Why It Matters
The new rules reduce applicants’ flexibility to choose where they interview. Under the previous system, some applicants would travel elsewhere for faster or more convenient appointments, so the change could increase costs or wait times.
Read More on News
What To Know
The new rules require immigrant visa applicants to attend interviews in their country of residence. Applicants can also request to be interviewed in their country of nationality.
Previously, applicants had more flexibility in booking appointments in third-party countries.
For applicants living in countries where visa operations are suspended or paused, the State Department has assigned designated immigrant visa processing posts.
For example, applicants from Afghanistan would largely need to apply in Islamabad, Pakistan, and those from Russia would need to apply from the capitals of Poland, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan.
The State Department has listed 17 countries from which applicants need to interview in other designated posts.
...
If applicants wish to transfer their visa case to a different consular district, they will need to contact the National Visa Center rather than the consulate.
If an applicant requests to interview outside their assigned district or country of nationality, the National Visa Center may require additional information to verify that location as their place of residence or to determine whether an exception applies.
The State Department said rare exceptions might be made for humanitarian or medical emergencies or for foreign policy reasons.
Existing appointments are generally not expected to be rescheduled or canceled, so those who already have interviews booked can proceed as planned.
These rules also apply to Diversity Visa applicants for the DV-2026 program year.
The government previously narrowed the categories of people eligible for a visa waiver, requiring several groups of people who could previously apply for visas without an in-person interview to attend one.
The changes come as the appointment wait times for U.S. visitor and tourist visas jumped by 69 percent between January and August, according to data from the State Department.
Wait times vary widely across U.S. consulates and embassies around the world, ranging from weeks to more than a year depending on the type of visa.
What People Are Saying
The State Department said in a release on October 9: “The Department of State is now requiring immigrant visa applicants to interview in the consular district designated for their place of residence, or in their country of nationality if requested, with limited exceptions.”
What Happens Next
The National Visa Center is set to schedule immigrant visa interviews in applicants’ country of residence or, if requested, in their country of nationality from November 1.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines