US tightens Visa rules: No more quick appointments abroad

The United States has tightened visa rules, ending the option for quick appointments abroad. The move signals stricter immigration enforcement under the current administration. Now, individuals applying for US non-immigrant visas (NIV) must schedule their interview appointments in their country of citizenship or legal residence, except for some locations where the US is not currently offering regular NIV services. The new regulation implies that Indians who need to travel to the US on short notice will no longer be able to book a quick B1 (business)/B2 (tourist) appointment date abroad—something they used to do during Covid-19 when the waiting time back home was as high as three years due to a massive backlog of applications—if a similar situation emerges again.The action will have a direct impact on Indians who have applied for interview seats in Singapore, Thailand, and Germany in recent years to avoid domestic backlogs.

Non-immigrant visas include the ones issued for tourism, business, to students, temporary workers, and those engaged to marry US citizens. This is the latest change in visa rules by the Trump administration. “Effective immediately, the Department of State has updated instructions for non-immigrant visa applicants... (they) should schedule visa interview appointments at the US embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence,” said the US State Department on Saturday. As of now, the wait time for B1/B2 interview in India is three and a half months in Hyderabad and Mumbai; four and a half months in Delhi; five months in Kolkata; and nine months in Chennai, as per the US State Department.