US visa: Big blow for Indians as new rules end third-country appointments. Check details

The US Department of State has overhauled its global visa appointment policy for non-immigrant categories. Effective immediately, applicants must now schedule interviews exclusively in their home country or the country where they legally reside. The move closes the door on third-country appointments — a strategy widely used by Indians to skip long waitlists.

Indians applying for US visitor or student visas through countries like Thailand, Vietnam, or even Germany now face a major roadblock. The US Department of State has announced that non-immigrant visa interviews — including categories like B1/B2 (tourist/business), H-1B, O-1 (employment), and F1 (student) — must be scheduled only in the applicant’s country of nationality or legal residence.

"Effective immediately, the department of state has updated instructions for non-immigrant visa applicants... (they) should schedule visa interview appointments at the US embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence," the department stated on Saturday.

This effectively ends the workaround that let many Indians fly to countries with shorter interview queues, avoiding wait times in India that have previously stretched up to 20 months. Post-Covid, Frankfurt even allocated specific B1/B2 interview slots for Indian applicants.

This shift comes alongside a tightening of the interview waiver programme, which had allowed certain applicants to skip in-person interviews. The combined measures mark a decisive push by the US to tighten visa processes and enforce residency-based criteria.

Who’s affected? 

This impacts Indian applicants for all major US non-immigrant visas, including: 

• B1/B2 – Business and tourist 
• F1 – Student 
• H-1B, O-1 – Employment 
• J – Exchange visitor 

What was the old system?

Previously, Indian applicants could book visa interviews in third countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Dubai, or even Germany to avoid long wait times at home. During the post-Covid backlog, this strategy became common. 

Why is this a big deal?

India has some of the longest wait times in the world for US visa interviews—up to 15–20 months at times. The third-country route was a lifeline for urgent travelers, especially: 

• Tourists attending family events 
• Business travelers heading to conferences 
• Students facing academic deadlines 

What are the risks now?

Under the new rules: 

• Applying outside your home/resident country could lead to rejection 
• Visa fees are non-refundable and non-transferable 
• Applicants must show proof of legal residency in the country they apply from 

The move threatens to disrupt thousands of travel plans. For Indian families and business travellers who previously used faster overseas appointments to meet timelines, options just got narrower. Destinations like Bangkok, Dubai, or Singapore — once visa processing hubs — are now off the table. Many may be forced to delay or even cancel their travels.