The U.S. Department of State announced a revision to its visa interview waiver policy on February 18, 2025, reversing the prior policy update made on December 21, 2023, which allowed for more applicants to bypass in-person interviews. Specifically, the policy makes the following changes:
- Reduces the eligibility period for nonimmigrant visa renewal interview waivers from 48 months back to the statutory 12-month limit.
- Revokes the prior discretionary waiver that allowed first-time nonimmigrant visa applicants to bypass interviews if they had previously held a visa within the past 48 months, (excluding B visa holders).
The revised policy allows consular officers to waive interviews for select diplomatic and official visa applicants, as well as those renewing visas that expired within the past year, provided they meet additional criteria such as applying in their country of residence, having no prior visa refusals (unless overcome), and having no apparent ineligibility. However, consular officers retain the authority to mandate interviews on a case-by-case basis or due to local conditions.
The decision may see an increase in visa application appointment wait times. While the Foreign Affairs Manual has not yet been updated to reflect the new policy, applicants are advised to check embassy and consulate websites for the latest application procedures. See NAFSA's webpage on the DOS Policy on Interview Waiver Eligibility for detailed information of this policy change.