Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Program Is Restricted at U.S. Consular Posts Abroad

The U.S. State Department has recently tightened the rules for skipping interviews when applying for nonimmigrant visas at U.S. consulates abroad.

During the pandemic,to qualify for a visa interview waiver, you needed to renew your visa in the same category, and your previous visa had to be either still valid or have expired within the past 48 months, allowing more applicants to bypass in-person interviews.

Now, the State Department has returned to the pre-pandemic rule: your prior visa must have expired within the last 12 months or still be valid to be eligible for an interview waiver. This change means fewer people will qualify to skip the interview when renewing their visas.