After H-1B jolt, more US visa chaos ahead: As interview waiver ends, what does it mean for students? | Top FAQs
The US State Department is enforcing stricter rules for non-immigrant visa interview waivers, effective October 1, 2025, impacting international students and professionals.
After the H-1B visa fee hike, another jolt hits US non-immigrant and student visa applicants. The US State Department is rolling out stricter rules for visa interview waivers, commonly known as the Dropbox programme, which is likely to impact international students and professionals heading to America. The new rule will be effective from October 1, 2025 and will sharply limit who can bypass in-person interviews.
What does the new rule say?
Under the new rules, most non-immigrant visa applicants — including minors under 18 and seniors over 79 — will now typically need to appear for an in-person interview at the US embassy or consulate.
Who is eligible for the visa?
The interview waiver will remain available only to a limited group:
- Diplomatic or official visa holders
- Certain government visa categories
- Individuals renewing a B-1, B-2, or H-2A visa within 12 months of the previous visa, if their previous visa has full validity and was issued after age 18.
To qualify for the waiver, applicants must apply from their home country or place of residence, have no unresolved visa refusals, and meet eligibility requirements. Even then, consular officers may still call them for an in-person interview.
Why is it a challenge for student visa applicants?
The new rules are expected to make things harder for international students, many of whom rely on faster visa processing to attend US universities. Affected categories include F-1 visas for academic study, M-1 visas for vocational courses, and J-1 visas for exchange programs, as a delay in the visa approval process could cause them to miss part of their academic sessions.
Who else might be impacted?
Skilled professionals and other workers will also need to adjust, as many had long depended on the dropbox system for smooth renewals of B-1, B-2, and H-2A visas.
What should applicants do now?
From now on, the applicants need to be more thorough with their applications as new regulations will require more preparation, documentation, and scheduling of appointments for in-person interviews.
Applicants should check the US embassy and consulate websites for country-specific information and to plan for possible delays.
Although the Dropbox program will still operate in a limited capacity, there will be a massive shift toward in-person interviews.