New Delhi: America will scrap the “Dropbox” programme for many visa classes on September 2, 2025. The change impacts renewals for H1-B, L1, F1 and O1 visas. Even kids below 14 and seniors over 79 will now seem earlier than a consular officer at a U.S. consulate overseas.
Just a few exceptions stay. Some diplomatic and official visa classes, akin to A, G, NATO and TECRO nonetheless qualify for interview waivers. Restricted provisions additionally exist for sure vacationer visa renewals.
Full-validity B-1/B-2 or border-crossing visas will be renewed inside 12 months of expiry. The applicant should apply from the house nation, have been 18 or older when the visa was issued and haven’t any visa refusal or ineligibility.
The tip of interview waivers marks a significant shift in U.S. visa coverage. In-person interviews will now be commonplace for practically all non-immigrant visa renewals. Age, clear journey historical past or earlier eligibility not exempt candidates.
The change is already disrupting schedules. Some Dropbox interview slots for August and September have been cancelled. Candidates are being instructed to attend in-person interviews sooner than anticipated.
U.S. consulates anticipate heavy demand for interview dates. Wait instances are more likely to stretch. Journey plans could face delays. International locations with giant numbers of affected candidates, together with India, may expertise the longest backlogs.
America Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) has additionally issued a coverage replace. A visa is now thought-about “obtainable” for the needs of the Youngster Standing Safety Act (CSPA) age calculation.
Immigration advocates warn that kids of expert immigrants from international locations with the biggest inexperienced card backlogs, together with China and India, may face severe setbacks below the brand new guidelines.