Us Cracks Down On Visa Process As Indian Travelers Face New Hurdles With No Quick Appointments Abroad

Published on September 8, 2025

Indians who urgently request to recreation to nan United States will nary longer person nan action of booking expedited B1 (business) aliases B2 (tourist) visa appointments successful different countries. The US Department of State has now mandated that applicants for non-immigrant visas (NIVs) schedule their visa interviews successful their state of citizenship aliases ineligible residency, isolated from successful situations wherever regular NIV operations are suspended by nan US government.

Previously, galore applicants from India were capable to bypass agelong hold times by applying for their visas successful 3rd countries. This action became peculiarly celebrated during nan Covid-19 pandemic, erstwhile hold times for visa appointments successful India soared to arsenic overmuch arsenic 3 years owed to nan monolithic backlog of applications. At nan time, nan US authorities allowed applicants to use from different countries arsenic a impermanent measurement to alleviate nan unit connected consulates successful India. However, this elasticity has now been rescinded. If akin delays were to hap again, applicants will nary longer beryllium capable to return advantage of this option.

The caller norm affects a wide scope of non-immigrant visa categories, including those for business, tourism, students, impermanent workers, and individuals intending to wed US citizens. These visas are important for those seeking to visit, work, aliases study successful nan US connected a impermanent basis. The updated regularisation is portion of a broader group of argumentation changes aimed astatine tightening nan US visa system, immoderate of which were introduced during nan erstwhile administration. The revision restricts applicants to seeking appointments wrong their location countries aliases places of ineligible residency, removing nan elasticity that was antecedently allowed during nan pandemic.

During nan highest of nan pandemic, visa applicants from India faced important delays successful securing appointments owed to nan US consulates’ constricted capacity to process applications. Many opted to recreation to different countries, specified arsenic those successful Europe, Asia, aliases nan Middle East, wherever nan assignment hold times were shorter. This believe was particularly communal for student visa applicants (F-1), visitant visa applicants (B1/B2), and moreover individuals applying for activity visa renewals. The caller argumentation alteration signals a return to nan pre-pandemic approach, wherever applicants must hold for disposable appointments successful their state of citizenship aliases ineligible residency.

With nan revision successful place, applicants who were antecedently capable to bypass nan lengthy hold times by applying successful a 3rd state will now beryllium forced to reschedule their appointments successful their location country. This alteration whitethorn create caller challenges for those facing urgent recreation needs aliases those who were already successful nan process of applying from different locations. Visa applicants, peculiarly those successful urgent situations, will now request to facet successful imaginable delays successful their location countries erstwhile readying their travels to nan US.

The determination to destruct nan action of applying successful 3rd countries is being viewed arsenic a important displacement successful US visa policy, arsenic it limits nan elasticity that applicants had relied connected during nan pandemic. The US Department of State has emphasized that nan determination to make this alteration is portion of an effort to streamline and fortify nan visa exertion process. While nan alteration is aimed astatine maintaining nan integrity of nan visa system, it will apt adhd further burdens for applicants successful countries pinch agelong hold times.

The argumentation displacement has already raised concerns among migration experts and those who trust connected nan elasticity offered by applying successful 3rd countries. Some reason that this determination whitethorn disproportionately impact applicants from countries for illustration India, wherever visa assignment hold times person been historically long. In nan past, galore Indian applicants sought appointments successful different countries arsenic a measurement to expedite nan process, peculiarly erstwhile faced pinch agelong delays backmost home. By removing this option, nan US authorities whitethorn inadvertently exacerbate nan challenges faced by applicants from countries pinch precocious request for visas.

Immigration experts besides interest that nan caller norm could summation nan strain connected US consulates successful countries for illustration India, wherever visa request is precocious and hold times tin agelong for months aliases moreover years. This could further hold nan process for individuals seeking visas to recreation to nan US for business, tourism, aliases study purposes. While nan argumentation alteration intends to trim nan unit connected US consulates, it could yet person nan other effect by expanding nan request for appointments successful already overburdened locations.

For now, nan caller norm intends that applicants who had antecedently hoped to unafraid a faster assignment successful a 3rd state will request to reconsider their options and set their plans accordingly. This will apt lead to further uncertainty for travelers who request to make last-minute arrangements aliases who were relying connected nan elasticity that was disposable during nan pandemic.

The US Department of State has not indicated whether immoderate early exceptions will beryllium made to this rule. As it stands, applicants must travel nan caller model and schedule their visa appointments wrong their state of citizenship aliases ineligible residency, unless regular NIV operations are suspended. This regularisation is portion of nan US government’s ongoing efforts to modulate and negociate nan travel of non-immigrant visa applicants, which has go a important rumor owed to nan expanding world request for US visas.

The removal of nan action to use for US visas successful 3rd countries marks a important alteration successful US migration policy. It reflects nan government’s push to return to pre-pandemic norms while addressing visa strategy pressures. However, nan caller regularisation whitethorn present challenges for applicants who antecedently relied connected nan elasticity of applying extracurricular their location countries, peculiarly for those successful countries pinch agelong hold times.