Overview

• Effective September 6, most nonimmigrant applicants are directed to schedule interviews in their country of nationality or legal residence, and those applying based on residence must be prepared to prove it.
• The policy excludes A, G, C-2, C-3, NATO, and other diplomatic or official visas, with rare discretionary exceptions for urgent humanitarian or medical cases.
• Nationals of countries without routine U.S. consular services are assigned to designated posts, including Georgetown for Cubans, Nassau for Haitians, and Astana or Warsaw for Russians.
• Existing third-country appointments are generally being honored, but fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable, and applicants should expect longer waits and closer scrutiny.
• Together with the September 2 rollback of most interview waivers and an immigrant‑visa interview districting rule taking effect November 1, the change is expected to delay travel and increase costs for employers and applicants, particularly in India and China.