Travellers seeking short-term US visas will now face longer wait times as the United States has introduced a new rule requiring all non-immigrant visa applicants to attend interviews only in their country of citizenship or legal residence.
“Applicants for US non-immigrant visas (NIV) should schedule their visa interview appointments at the US Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or residence,” the US administration announced.
The directive, which has come into effect, applies to applicants for tourism, business, student and temporary work visas.
The state department has clarified that those who choose to apply for a visa interview outside their country of nationality or residence may face greater difficulty qualifying.
Applicants must demonstrate residence in the country where they are applying if their place of application is based on residency.
Visa application fees in such cases will not be refunded or transferred.
Wait times for non-immigrant visa appointments already vary by location, but the new rule means applicants applying outside their home country should expect longer delays.
While existing non-immigrant visa appointments will not be cancelled, the revised procedure eliminates a widely used option for securing faster appointments in other countries.
This change will have a direct impact on Indian travellers, who have applied for visas from countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Germany and Brazil in an effort to avoid long backlogs in India.
The option was popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, when wait times for B-1 and B-2 visas in India stretched up to three years.
With the new rule, Indians needing to travel to the US on short notice will no longer have the flexibility of seeking quicker appointments abroad.
The decision is part of a broader tightening of US visa policies introduced under the Trump administration.
Tourists may have to adjust itineraries or explore destinations with less restrictive visa policies, while business travellers will have to plan well in advance, as last-minute travel will become challenging after the new rules.