Washington, D.C.: Beginning September 2, getting a U.S. visa is about to get so much harder for a lot of. The U.S. State Division has rolled out main modifications to to deal with immigrant visa interviews. The brand new guidelines are elevating alarms, particularly amongst Indian candidates.
Underneath the brand new system, youngsters below 14 and seniors over 79 will now not be routinely exempt from in-person interviews. Just a few particular visa classes and renewals will get that privilege. For everybody else, together with B1/B2 and H-1B candidates, exhibiting up for a consular interview may develop into obligatory even when they’ve held a visa earlier than.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS) says that the revised tips are meant for strengthening nationwide safety. However the modifications are additionally anticipated to decelerate your entire course of. Extra folks. Extra interviews. Longer waits.
For Indian households, the timing couldn’t be worse. The Indian group makes up one of many largest teams of non-immigrant travellers to the US, together with college students, tech professionals, enterprise guests and households on trip. Many are already coping with lengthy delays for visa appointments. The brand new system may make the method much more unpredictable.
Based mostly in Houston, Immigration Legal professional Steven Brown says that the change is sweeping. “I feel they’re primarily ending dropbox eligibility for many classes. Meaning longer queues, extra appointments and so much much less effectivity for renewals,” he mentioned.
Brown didn’t maintain again when it got here to the foundations requiring youngsters to look in individual. “The thought of interviewing youngsters for visas is absurd,” he mentioned.
Sure diplomats and official visa classes, reminiscent of A, G, NATO and TECRO E-1 candidates, are nonetheless exempt. However most travellers will now should make that journey to the consulate, look forward to an appointment and put together for in-person questioning.
The coverage reversal replaces the extra lenient method adopted in February 2023. Again then, exemptions had been broader and geared toward easing the backlog brought on by COVID. Now, below a renewed push for tighter screening, these flexibilities are being rolled again.
A State Division spokesperson mentioned consular officers should still train discretion, relying on the case or native circumstances. However that doesn’t change the core of the coverage, which calls for most people to indicate up in individual.
Officers linked the transfer to broader considerations about world safety. The Donald Trump administration has supported the change, arguing that the present atmosphere requires stricter checks. Private threat assessments and face-to-face scrutiny are again in focus.
Candidates are being suggested to test the U.S. embassy or consulate web site for up to date procedures, as guidelines could differ barely relying on location. Visa seekers ought to put together for an extended and extra hands-on course of.
With India on the heart of this shift, hundreds of households, college students and professionals may quickly discover themselves caught in queues, ready for a slot that was once non-obligatory and is now non-negotiable.