Effective September 2, 2025, the U.S. State Department is eliminating visa waiver of appointments (otherwise called dropbox appointments) for many visa applicants. Many visa applicants and their dependents previously qualified for dropbox appointments where they simply could submit appropriate documentation in lieu of an in-person interview. Now, they will have to wait until the U.S. Consulate has an appointment slot available to attend an in-person interview.
This change in policy will generally result in longer waits to receive an appointment and the resulting visa. This comes at a time when the State Department has laid off workers, and is operating with reduced capacity overall, and where resources were already being asked to perform additional screening and vetting for certain visa applicants following another policy change announced last month.
Per the State Department’s July 25 update, most nonimmigrant visa applicants, including those requesting employment-based visas and those under the age of 14 and over the age of 79, generally need to attend an in-person interview with a consular officer. Limited exceptions to this requirement include applicants under the following categories:
- Visa symbols A-1, A-2, C-3 (excluding 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 visas; and
- Applicants renewing a full-validity B-1, B-2, B1/B2 visa, or a Border Crossing Card/Foil (for Mexican nationals) within 12 months of their prior visa’s expiration, provided they were at least 18 years old when the initial visa was issued.
To qualify for an interview waiver under the third category above (renewing a full-validity B-1, B-2, B1/B2 visa, or Border Crossing Card/Foil), applicants must meet additional conditions, such as applying in their country of nationality or residence, having no prior visa refusals (unless resolved or waived), and displaying no apparent or potential ineligibility.
Womble Analysis and Impact:
- Visa holders and their employers need to be aware of the potential for significant delays and plan accordingly.
- Employers may also prepare by requesting and reviewing any need for potential business travelers well in advance of the need. For example, if employees will be required for a planned training or conference, work to identify the need as early as possible to ensure visa appointments are secured and business goals may be met.
- Because this announcement comes on the heels of State Department layoffs earlier this month and expanded screening and vetting requirements for certain visa applicants, including social media screening, State Department resources are expected to have further reduced capacity to conduct in-person interviews required by this announcement.
- Universities and students may experience delays in student arrivals as visa appointment wait times and processing may increase overall.
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