U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNOUNCES MANDATORY IN PERSON VISA INTERVIEWS FOR MOST APPLICANTS STARTING SEPTEMBER 2025

The U.S. Department of State has announced significant changes to its visa interview policy, which will take effect on September 2, 2025. Under the revised regulations, in-person interviews will become mandatory for most non-immigrant visa applicants. This policy effectively ends the broad interview waivers that had been granted in recent years.

The new rules specify that all non-immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, including those under 14 and over 79, will generally need to attend an in-person interview with a consular officer. This change applies even to applicants seeking to renew their visas, marking the end of the widely-used “Dropbox” renewal process. U.S. Consulates will still implement a scaled-back version of the non-immigrant visa interview waiver program for specific categories, but the majority of applicants will now be required to schedule and attend an in-person interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

The policy also removes age-based exemptions, which previously allowed applicants under 14 or over 79 to bypass in-person interviews. Now, all visa applicants, regardless of age, will need to comply with the new requirements unless they qualify for one of the limited exceptions.

There will be some exceptions to the new rules. Diplomatic visa categories, such as those for diplomats and international officials (A-1, A-2, C-3, G-1 to G-4, NATO-1 to NATO-6), will continue to qualify for interview waivers. Additionally, certain B-1/B-2 visa renewals may still be eligible for an interview waiver if applicants meet specific conditions. These conditions include applying from their country of nationality or residence, having been at least 18 years old when the prior visa was issued, and showing no history of visa refusal or signs of potential ineligibility. However, even if an applicant meets these criteria, a consular officer may still require an in-person interview.

This change ends the broader interview waivers and the previously commonly used system for visa renewals, notably affecting H, L, F, M, and J visa categories, which include temporary workers, intra-company transferees, students, and exchange visitors, respectively. The updates aim to streamline the process but will require more applicants to attend interviews in person moving forward.