The United States has introduced major changes to its non-immigrant (NIV) visa rules. Effective September 2, the new regulation requires all applicants to appear for their visa interviews only in their country of citizenship or legal residence. As a result, Indian citizens will no longer be able to travel to Thailand, Singapore, Germany, Brazil, or other countries to attend interviews for B1 (business) or B2 (tourist) visas.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the waiting period for visa interviews in India sometimes stretched up to three years. At that time, thousands of applicants traveled to Bangkok, Singapore, Frankfurt, and other cities for their interviews. Currently, the wait times for NIV interviews in India are 3.5 months in Hyderabad and Mumbai, 4.5 months in Delhi, 5 months in Kolkata, and 9 months in Chennai.

The new rule applies to tourist, business, student, temporary worker, and marriage-related visa applicants. Under the updated system, all applicants—including those below 14 and above 79 years of age—are generally required to attend a direct consular interview. However, applicants whose previously issued B1, B2, or B1/B2 visa expired within the last 12 months and who were 18 years or older at that time may still qualify for interview waivers in certain cases.