Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:08am on 08 Sep 2025,Monday India Global
The US has implemented a new visa rule requiring all non-immigrant visa applicants to schedule interviews only in their country of citizenship or legal residence, effective immediately. This policy change particularly affects Indians who previously practiced "visa shopping" - applying from countries like Thailand, Singapore, Germany, or Brazil to avoid lengthy wait times. The rule applies to all non-immigrant categories including tourism, business, student, and temporary worker visas. Applicants scheduling interviews outside their home country face greater difficulty qualifying, with non-refundable fees and significantly longer waits. Indian visa appointment wait times already extend three-and-a-half months at US consulates, and this rule is expected to further increase delays as more applicants must apply domestically.
