The US Embassy and Consulates General have announced several important changes to consular processing. These changes include updates to scheduling procedures, interview waiver criteria, and communication preferences. These updates are outlined below.
The US Embassy and Consulates General of India has announced new criteria for nonimmigrant visa interview (“Dropbox”) waivers
Interview waivers (often referred to as the “Dropbox”) were previously available to individuals whose prior visa stamp in the same category was either still valid or had expired within 48 months. Now, The US Consulate General in India has announced that interview waivers are only available to those whose visa stamps are either still valid or have expired within 12 months.
The US Embassy and Consulates General of China has announced that it will open new nonimmigrant visa appointments
The new nonimmigrant visa interview appointments are available according to the following schedule:
A new visa services system went into effect across a number of Middle East countries
The new visa services system went into effect on February 8, 2025 in Pakistan, Egypt, Nepal, Qatar, and Kuwait. More details regarding these changes can be found at USTravelDocs.com.
The US Embassy in London has implemented a visa navigator tool
The new visa navigator tool on their webpage is intended to help direct communications. It limits the types of questions that one may submit to the embassy and is intended to improve overall efficiency.
The US Embassy in Amsterdam will be temporarily closed
The closure is expected to last from March 2025 to May 2025 and is the result of building renovations.
Under a new presidential administration, we can expect to see continual process changes at consular posts. The biggest change this week is the limitations on the use of the “Dropbox” interview waiver process in India. This change will require more visa applicants to apply for in-person interview appointments and consequently increase appointment backlogs at the consular posts in India. Vialto Partners will continue to monitor these changes as they arise.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or
alternatively:
Manish Daftari
Partner
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