US Consulates in India Limit Visa Interview Waiver Eligibility

US consulates in India are restricting eligibility for visa interview waivers, a step that will likely lengthen wait times for visa applicants.

Previously, if a traveler’s passport stamp expired in the past 48 months they could get a waiver to skip the visa interview at an embassy or consulate. Now, only those with visas that expired in the past 12 months will be eligible, according to the Department of State website. That was the rule at US consulates before greater flexibility for interview waivers was adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That change will require more visitors to the US—including ...