Today, the U.S. Department of State announced a significant change to nonimmigrant visa processing that will impact millions of travelers, students, and temporary workers worldwide.

As of September 6, 2025, applicants seeking nonimmigrant visas — including student visas (F/M), tourist visas (B-1/B-2), and temporary work visas such as H- 1B, L, O-1 and P-1 visas — will now be limited to scheduling their visa interviews
only at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence.

What Has Changed

In the past, visa applicants had the flexibility to schedule interviews at nearly any
U.S. Embassy or Consulate worldwide.

This allowed for:

• Convenience, by aligning visa appointments with planned international travel.
•  Urgent solutions, such as students booking interviews outside their home country when local wait times were too long to secure a visa before the start of
  their academic program.
• Business continuity, enabling professionals to schedule interviews while
  abroad to meet deadlines for conferences, performances, or critical business meetings.

Under the new rule, this flexibility is no longer available. Most applicants must now
return to their country of nationality or residence to complete their visa interview,
with only very limited exceptions for certain diplomatic or humanitarian situations.

Why This Matters

This change is expected to cause disruptions and delays, especially in countries
where U.S. embassies and consulates already face heavy demand and long wait times.
Examples of those impacted include:

• Students who risk missing the start of a semester if local interview appointments
  are unavailable in time.
• Performers, athletes, and entertainment professionals with time-sensitive
  tour dates or competitions.
• Business travelers needing to attend conferences or meetings that are crucial
  for their work.

Plan Ahead: Start Early

Because of this shift, applicants should begin their visa application process as early
as possible.

Tips to avoid last-minute complications:

1. Check appointment wait times regularly on the U.S. State Department website.
2. Book interviews early, especially if your travel dates are fixed.
3. Prepare for delays — many countries are already experiencing extended wait
   times for nonimmigrant visa appointments.
4. Gather documents well in advance to prevent issues that could slow down
   processing.

Bottom Line

This new rule is one of the most significant changes to visa processing in recent years.

•  Flexibility is gone — you can no longer choose the most convenient U.S.
  Embassy or Consulate.
• Planning is critical — long wait times will only get worse under the new system.

If you have upcoming travel for school, work, or business, start your visa journey
today to avoid being caught off guard.

For the full details from the U.S. Department of State, visit the official announcement
here.