The Trump-era tweaks in US visa norms have spelt uncertainty and anxiety for many Indians in India and America.

Since February 10, a visa interview waiver, known as the “dropbox”, is no longer allowed for applicants if it involves a change in visa category. For example, an Indian student in the US transitioning from an F1 student visa to an H1B work visa would no longer be able to use the dropbox facility for the process.

Plus, the US department of state has reduced the eligibility for the dropbox service. Previously, applicants whose visas expired up to 48 months ago were eligible for the facility. However, this has now been cut to just 12 months, the same time frame that existed before the pandemic.

Under the revised guidelines, the dropbox facility is now only available to applicants who are renewing a visa in the same nonimmigrant category, provided the visa has expired within the past 12 months.

Applicants are also restricted to renewing visas within the same category they previously held, a significant shift from the earlier policy which allowed applicants to switch categories. The new rule affects those seeking H1, H4, or B1/B2 visas.

As a result, several pre-scheduled appointments were abruptly cancelled. People whose visas expired more than a year but less than four years ago now face a huge wait time for a visa interview slot.

Take the example of an Indian student who had initially entered the US on an F1 student visa and later switched to an H1B or foreign worker visa.

“Although his visa category has been changed to H1B, my son’s passport still says F1 visa. He was planning to come to India and get the visa status change recorded in the passport. He had an appointment for the change in visa status through the dropbox.

“After the new rule came into effect, he had to cancel the appointment because it was no longer applicable. Now, he has to seek a physical appointment for biometrics and another for the in-person visa interview. He is uncertain about how long the process would take and so postponed his plans of coming to India,” said the father.

Before these changes, an individual could have returned to India and used the dropbox service to renew the student’s visa in three to four working days. The new regulations have caused disruptions for applicants in similar situations.

Several visa applicants shared their panic and uncertainties on Reddit, the community networking site.

“Today, I went to the VAC in Chennai for my visa dropbox appointment only to learn that the US immigration has changed rules regarding H1B dropbox. I was supposed to perform a visa status change from F1 to H1B via dropbox. Now, I again need to find a biometric and interview slot for the visa change,” an applicant posted five days ago.

A Calcutta-based artiste said her 10-year B1/B2 or tourist visa to the US expired on February 6, 2024.

“I was sure that I could avail of the dropbox facility for renewal within 48 months. But I was shocked when my application was rejected on February 12 as the visa officials said the expiry date was more than 12 months. I have to visit North Carolina in July this year for a wedding but the earliest visa interview appointment I am getting is on May 26, 2026,” she said.

Travel agents, too, said the abrupt change had triggered panic among clients planning trips to the US.

“We were not aware of the changes. Many of our clients are getting their dropbox applications rejected. We were sure that they would be able to avail of it within four years but the rule tweak is creating misunderstandings between tour operators and clients,” said AnilPunjabi, the national committee member of TravelAgents Federation of India representing the eastern region.

“Now, many clients whose visas have expired are desperately seeking appointment dates,” he added.

Elizabeth Lee, the public affairs officer of the US Consulate-General, Kolkata, said: “The United States and India have deep people-to-people ties that are a tremendous source of strength for our strategic partnership. The Department of State is committed to upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process, and as directed under Executive Order 14161, the department is undertaking a full review of all visa programmes. We look forward to continuing to provide a high level of service to all who apply for visas to lawfully travel to the United States.”