US Visa Applicants Must Now Interview in Home Country
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The US State Department has announced that, effective 6 September 2025, all nonimmigrant visa applicants, including international students, must schedule interviews in their home countries. The new directive ends the pandemic-era practice that allowed applicants to book appointments in third countries to bypass long waits.
“Applicants who scheduled nonimmigrant interviews outside their country of nationality or residence might find it more difficult to qualify for the visa,” the department warned. Fees paid for such applications will not be refunded or transferable, and applicants must now demonstrate residence in the country where they are applying.
The policy affects all F, M, and J visa applicants, potentially creating longer wait times at local embassies and consulates. According to the State Department, student and exchange visitor visa applicants in Abuja, Nigeria, currently face a 14-month wait for interviews. Similarly, consulates in Accra, Ghana, and Karachi, Pakistan, report delays of 11 and 10.5 months, respectively.
The new rules follow a near month-long pause on student visa interviews during the summer, which led to widespread delays and cancellations at US embassies worldwide. Observers also note that enhanced social media vetting for student visa applications is contributing to slower processing times.
While existing appointments will generally not be cancelled, the State Department stated that “rare exceptions may be made for humanitarian, medical emergencies or foreign policy reasons.”
Education consultancies have expressed concern that the change may disproportionately affect students from countries with limited US embassy capacity, forcing some to defer or alter their study plans.
The policy underscores the US government’s tightening of international student visa regulations amid increasing demand for higher education in the country. Universities in the US continue to rely heavily on international students for both tuition revenue and cultural diversity, and the new rules may affect enrolment for the upcoming academic year.
The State Department reiterated that compliance with the home-country requirement is essential for visa approval and warned applicants against attempting third-country interviews, which could jeopardise their eligibility.
Source: THE PIE NEWS
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