Overview
- Starting September 2, almost all H-1B, L1, F1, O1 and other nonimmigrant visa renewals will require an in-person consular interview, eliminating the Dropbox facility for most applicants.
- Narrow exemptions will remain only for diplomatic and official visa categories and certain full-validity B-1/B-2 renewals under strict eligibility conditions, with consular officers retaining discretion to require interviews case by case.
- Some Dropbox appointments scheduled for August and early September have already been canceled, forcing applicants to secure new in-person interview slots ahead of the September deadline.
- USCIS has finalized a CSPA rule change that ties visa “availability” for dependent age calculations to the Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates, raising concerns that children of high-skilled immigrants from India and China could lose protected status.
- Reporting indicates a proposed $250 Visa Integrity Fee and other security-linked measures set to take effect in 2026, but details remain under development and await official confirmation.