United States: Starting September 2, State Department Eliminates Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers for Most
July 28, 2025
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At a glance
- Starting September 2, eligibility for nonimmigrant interview waivers at U.S. consular posts abroad will be restricted to only certain B visa renewals and diplomatic or official visa applications.
- Applicants in all other nonimmigrant visa categories – including H-1B, L, and F – will be required to appear for in-person interviews, and the age range for required interviews will be broadened to include those under 14 and over 79 years of age.
- Under the new restrictions, B nonimmigrant visa applicants would be eligible for an interview waiver at participating posts if their prior B visa expired within the last 12 months or is still valid, among other criteria. Previously, those renewing a visa in any classification who met the 12-month criteria could qualify for an interview waiver at participating posts.
The issue
Starting September 2, U.S. consulates will implement a significantly narrower version of the nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview waiver (IW) program that will require nearly all applicants to appear for an in-person interview except for most diplomatic visa applicants and certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants according to a State Department announcement. The new program will also require those under age 14 and over age 79 to attend interviews; under longstanding prior policy, applicants in these age groups were exempt from the interview requirement.
Who qualifies for a waiver
Under the new restrictions, only the following applicants may qualify for the interview waiver program and forgo an in-person interview at a participating U.S. consulate, assuming they satisfy other general program requirements:
- Applicants renewing a full validity B visa (including a Border Crossing card/foil for Mexican nationals) within 12 months of the prior visa’s expiration or while still valid, if the applicant was at least 18 years old at the time of the prior B visa issuance; and
- Applicants for most diplomatic nonimmigrant visas (such as A, G, NATO, and others) and for diplomatic- and official-type visas.
As with all prior versions of the interview waiver program, applicants applying for a non-diplomatic nonimmigrant visa are required to apply in their country of nationality or residence, and only qualify if they have never been refused a visa (unless the refusal was overcome or waived) and have no apparent or potential ineligibility.
Background
In February 2025, the State Department considerably narrowed interview waiver eligibility from an expanded COVID-era version of the program, which had permitted interview waiver for applicants whose prior visa in the same classification had expired within 48 months and, in some cases, permitted interview waiver for applicants applying for a visa classification for the very first time. The February change narrowed this eligibility criteria to those renewing a visa in the same classification that was still valid or had expired within the prior 12 months. The newly announced changes to the IW program that take effect in September will narrow eligibility further.
U.S. consulates are not required to implement IW programs in general. Those that do, however, will be required to comply with the newly narrowed version of the IW program that takes effect on September 2.
Looking ahead
Starting September 2, foreign nationals who do not meet the new standard for interview waiver should plan to appear for an in-person interview at a U.S. consulate abroad to obtain their next visa. This may require careful advance travel planning, as the availability of in-person visa appointments varies widely depending on consular post and visa type, and the newly narrowed IW eligibility criteria are expected to increase appointment wait times for in-person appointments. In addition, visa applicants that had typically been outside of the age range for in-person interviews should now expect to be required to appear in person at the U.S. consulate.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
