Visa Lawyer Blog
On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced new changes to the Visa Interview Waiver program, further adding to the unpredictability of the Trump administration.
Among these changes, the State Department has limited the categories of non-immigrants who are eligible to receive waivers of the in-person interview requirement.
Moving forward only the following individuals may qualify:
- Applicants classifiable under the visa symbols A-1, A-2, C-3 (except attendants, servants, or personal employees of accredited officials), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-6, or TECRO E-1;
- Applicants for diplomatic- or official-type visas; and
- Applicants who previously held a visa in the same category that expired less than 12 months prior to the new application
Additionally, those seeking interview waivers must also meet the following requirements:
- apply in their country of nationality or residence
- have never been refused a visa (unless such refusal was overcome or waived); and
- have no apparent or potential ineligibility.
Previously, non-immigrant visa applicants applying for visa renewals in the same visa category could seek an interview waiver if their visa was expiring within 48 months. The Trump administration has now cut this time to just 12 months.
This means that renewal applicants with visas that expired past the 12-month window will be required to attend in-person interviews at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy.
These visa restrictions along with Trump’s recent executive order requesting Consulates to fire visa officers and local employees, means that wait times for visa appointments will drastically increase, especially in countries already facing severe backlogs.
The State Department has said that visa renewal applicants who qualify for an interview waiver based on the previously stated guidelines may still be required to attend an in-person interview by the Consulate. This is because the interview waiver process is discretionary. It is never guaranteed.
