The State Department is curtailing eligibility for visa interview waivers expanded under the Biden administration, potentially adding to consular backlogs for foreign workers on temporary visas.
Effective Sept. 2, workers employed on H-1B specialty occupation visas or L-1 visas for intracompany transfers as well as foreign students on F-1 visas will have to attend in-person interviews at consulates.
Waivers will be limited to a small number of categories for government and diplomatic officials, as well as renewals for tourists and business visitors within 12 months of visa expiration, according to a July 25 update to the agency’s website.
In recent years, the State Department had expanded eligibility for a broad range of visa applicants to bypass the interview process as part of efforts to reduce processing backlogs at US embassies and consulates. Interview waivers also included children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 79. Consular officials still had the ability to require applicants to attend in-person interviews for any reason.
House lawmakers warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week that consular backlogs could derail the fall enrollment plans of Indian students attending US colleges and universities.
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