US Tightens Visa Rules: Indians can no longer apply from third countries

The US Department of State has rolled out a new rule requiring all nonimmigrant visa applicants to schedule their interviews only at the US Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or residence. The change, effective September 6, is expected to impact thousands of Indian applicants who have been seeking faster appointments abroad.Until now, many Indians had been applying for student (F1), visitor (B1/B2), or employment (H-1B, O-1) visas in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, or Germany to bypass long interview wait times in India. The practice became particularly popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, when visa backlogs in India pushed appointment availability to nearly three years.
With the latest directive, that workaround has been shut down. Applicants must now file exclusively from India, regardless of wait times. The State Department warned that those who attempt to apply outside their home country may face longer processing delays and stricter scrutiny — and visa fees will remain non-refundable and non-transferable.
Existing appointments will continue to remain valid. Exceptions will be made only for diplomatic, NATO, and UN-related visas, as well as in cases of humanitarian or medical emergencies. For nationals of countries without routine US visa services — such as Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela — applications will continue at designated regional locations like Islamabad, Georgetown, Dubai, Astana, Warsaw, and Bogota.For Indian applicants, however, the new restriction marks the end of a faster route to US visas. While wait times have eased compared to pandemic peaks, they still remain long in several categories, and the latest move is expected to increase the pressure on consular offices in India.

The State Department has advised applicants to check the websites of individual embassies and consulates for updated requirements and appointment availability.