Recently, the US Embassy in India took to Twitter to announce an extension of the in-person visa interview for Indian visa applicants.
The US has recently announced an extension of the in-person visa interview. This comes after promising shorter waiting times for Indian visa applicants. The interview waiver was announced on Twitter by the US Embassy in India. Anyone in the US holding a visa that is going to expire in 48 months will be eligible for an interview waiver.
The Department of State authorises consular officers to offer the in-person interview waiver for the visas. Further, travellers who hold the F, H-1, H-3, H-4, J (academic), L, M, N, O, P, and Q (non-blanket visa) who previously had any US visa will be eligible for this waiver. However, anyone with a previous refusal will be eligible for the waiver. The consular officer has authority to ask an in-person interview applicant for further details.
Earlier, the US introduced an in-person interview waiver, which was extended until December 31, 2023. The extension was valid for different types of visas, including the following:
- Students, professors, specialists, or scholars with F, J, and M academic visas
- Applicants with H-2 visas, like temporary agriculture and non-agriculture workers
- Temporary workers with H-3, H-1, H-4, L, P, O, and Q with an individual petition approved by the USCIS
The waiting times are different for different locations and visa categories. Anyone who meets the criteria mentioned above will be eligible for the in-person interview waiver. The wait times in Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai compared to Hyderabad and Kolkata for B1 and B2 visa categories range from 11 to 14 months.