New Delhi, India – The United States has revised its non-immigrant visa rules, ending a practice that allowed Indian travelers to secure quicker interview appointments in third countries, the Economic Times reported.
Under the new policy, applicants must schedule their interviews in their country of citizenship or legal residence. Exceptions will apply only if the US is not conducting routine non-immigrant visa operations in that country.
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The move eliminates a critical workaround that many Indians used during the Covid-19 pandemic, when wait times at US consulates in India stretched up to three years. At that time, travellers were able to book faster appointments in locations such as Dubai, Bangkok, or Singapore.
Non-immigrant visas include categories for tourism, business, students, temporary workers, and fiancés of US citizens. The revised rules roll back a measure that had been introduced to ease pandemic-era backlogs.
Immigration experts warn the change will have significant consequences. Gnanamookan Senthurjoti, founder of immigration platform The Visa Code, told News18 that applicants who filed for student (F-1) or visitor (B1/B2) visas in destinations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East will now have to reapply in India. He added that the rule also affects some work visa renewals, leaving many applicants uncertain about their status.
For Indian tourists and business travellers, the change complicates planning. Analysts note that booking faster appointments abroad had been especially useful for professionals needing last-minute travel to the US. The Hindustan Times reported that the new rules could disrupt corporate schedules as well as personal trips, since urgent departures will be harder to arrange.
Travel executives say the new restrictions may reshape demand. A senior Delhi-based travel services executive told the Indian Express that clients will now need to plan US-bound trips months in advance. “For leisure travellers, many families may choose alternative destinations if they cannot secure timely appointments,” the executive said. “For corporate travellers, this raises the cost of doing business with the US.”
The United States remains one of the top destinations for Indian students and visitors. According to the US Department of Commerce, India was the second-largest source of international students in the US in 2024, while more than 1.4 million Indians visited for business and leisure.
Whether the impact of the new rules eases will depend on how quickly US consulates in India can cut backlogs. The State Department has deployed additional officers to speed up processing, but consultancies caution that demand continues to far exceed pre-pandemic levels.
For now, Indian applicants are being urged to plan far ahead of travel dates, with industry observers noting that the era of quick overseas visa appointments for Indians is effectively over.
SOURCE : Economic Times, News 18 | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
