Department of State Tightens Visa Interview Waiver Requirements

Effective yesterday, February 13, 2025, the US Department of State has quietly tightened requirements for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers (commonly referred to as ‘drop box’ visa appointments) at consulates located in India. This change was made suddenly, and without an official announcement from the Department of State. To be eligible for drop box appointments, applicants must now be applying in the same visa classification as their previous visa, which must not have expired within the previous twelve months. Due to this abrupt change, there are reports of individuals who previously scheduled drop box appointments being told by US Consulates that they must now schedule an in-person interview. It is unclear at this point whether the policy will be applied to consulates outside of India.  

Background

The sudden change in visa interview policy resurrects the policy in place under the Obama and previous Trump administrations. Under Biden, the Department of State expanded drop box availability to most applicants who held an approved visa in any category, so long as that visa was still valid, or had expired within the previous 48 months.  The reinstated policy is in line with Trump’s ‘enhanced vetting’ Executive Order, and is not unexpected.  

What this Means for Our Clients

Applicants who have already been scheduled for a drop box appointment in India may now be required to attend an in-person interview, which may disrupt international travel plans, and delay a return to the US for those applicants who are already abroad. If you have a drop box appointment already scheduled, we recommend checking to see if you meet the new eligibility requirements, and plan accordingly if you do not.  More generally, the tightening of drop box appointments will require more resources on the part of the Department of State, which will likely increase visa processing and visa appointment wait times in India. As noted above, it is not clear whether this change in policy will be applied to US consulates in other countries. 

We will provide additional information as it becomes available.