U.S. Department of State Introduces Tougher Visa Interview Standards Across All Categories

The U.S. Department of State has rolled out stricter visa interview standards that now affect almost all visa categories. These changes signal a clear shift toward tighter screening, increased in-person scrutiny, and longer processing timelines worldwide.

1. In-Person Interviews: The New Norm

The use of Interview Waivers, which were done through Dropbox has been greatly reduced.

The change is that starting from 2025 In-Person Interviews are required for most nonimmigrant visa categories, including F, M, J, H, L, O and P nonimmigrant visa categories and this is even, for people who are renewing their nonimmigrant visa categories.

The Age Factor:

• There used to be age-based exemptions for people under 14 or over 79.

• Now they are mostly gone.

• All applicants no matter how old they are have to meet a consular officer in person.

Limited Exceptions:

• There are some exceptions now.

• These exceptions are mainly for visas like A, G or NATO.

• They are also, for some B-1 or B-2 visas that need to be renewed within 12 months of expiring.

U.S. Department of State Official Processes Visa Applications Amid New Stricter Interview Standards.

2. Interview Location Restrictions

The TCN processing has been restricted a lot. This processing was when applicants went to another country to get an appointment.

• Home-Base Requirement: Now applicants usually have to go for an interview, in their country or where they live. Applicants are required to interview in their country of nationality or residence.

• When you want to apply for something in a country where you live but you are not a citizen of that country you need to show Residency Proof. This means you have to give them papers that say you are allowed to live in that country.

• There are also some rules about where you can apply from which are called Designated Posts. If you are from a country where the United States does not have a working consulate like Russia or Venezuela you will have to go to a Designated Post in another country to apply. These Designated Posts are like offices that handle applications, from people who cannot go to their own country's consulate.
  

3. Interview Location Restrictions

The Department of State has significantly broadened its security reviews. A key component is the expanded social media vetting policy, effective December 15, 2025.

• Public Social Media Required: Applicants for H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J visas are now instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media accounts to "public" . This allows consular officers to review online presence as part of the screening process to identify potential inadmissibility issues related to national security or public safety .

• Longer Processing: This expanded vetting requires more time per applicant, which is a primary driver of the significant appointment delays and backlogs

4. Broader Categories Affected

These standards apply to all visa types.

They include:

• Tourist and Business visas, which're B1 and B2

• Student and Exchange visas, which are F M and J

• Work visas, like H-1B, H-4, L and O

• Immigrant visas based on family and work.

5. Appointment Delays

The combination of new policies is creating substantial backlogs.

• Regional Hub Delays: With applicants now funneled to specific regional embassies (like Warsaw, Abu Dhabi, and Nairobi), these posts are expected to experience severe wait times .

• Specific Country Delays: In India, a major source of H-1B applicants, the new vetting procedures have led to mass rescheduling. Some applicants with interviews scheduled for late 2025 have received new appointments as far out as March, June, or even October 2026, with some reports of delays extending to 2027 .

• Operational Constraints: Consulates have cited the need to reduce the number of daily interviews to accommodate the new, more time-intensive vetting requirements .

6. Ancillary Costs and Fees

When people apply for something they have to deal with interviews and they may also have to pay for:

• Increased costs for getting a visa

• Extra money, for papers and documents

• More proof that they have money

Getting a visa is becoming really expensive and it is a lot of work. The visa process is costing people money and it is more complicated. The costs of getting a visa are going up and up.

Pro Tips for Navigating the New System

• The Check Back Strategy is really helpful. When you first sign up you might have to wait a time for your appointment.. The New System releases appointment slots at different times. So you should try to log in to the New System every day to see if there are any appointment slots available. You might be able to get a slot that someone else cancelled.

• You should also be careful, about what you post on media. This is what I mean by Social Media Hygiene. You need to check your profiles on social media to make sure they are okay. Everything you post online should match what you wrote on your DS-160 form. The New System is going to look at your Social Media Hygiene.

• Document Everything: Bring "excessive" documentation. Since officers are under pressure to be more thorough, having original birth certificates, employment letters, and detailed tax records can prevent a "221(g)" administrative processing delay.

• Apply 6-8 Months Out: For any planned travel in late 2026 or 2027, start the application process immediately. Spontaneous business or leisure travel is currently very difficult for those without a valid visa stamp.

Good Luck.