Overview
- State Department guidance effective October 1, 2025 makes in‑person interviews the general rule for all nonimmigrant applicants, including those under 14 and over 79.
- Only narrow waivers remain—diplomatic/official categories and tightly defined renewals such as B1/B2 or Border Crossing Card within 12 months and H‑2A—while consular officers may still require an interview case by case.
- Mexico posts report lengthy appointment backlogs, with first‑time B1/B2 interview dates showing as late as November–December 2026 in Mexico City and Guadalajara and into early 2027 in Monterrey and Ciudad Juárez.
- The base application fee stays at $185 in 2026; a legislated Visa Integrity Fee of about $250 exists in law but the government has not finalized collection mechanics or a definitive start date.
- The visa‑bond program expanded January 1, 2026 to add countries including Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea‑Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan, requiring refundable bonds of $5,000–$15,000 via Form I‑352 and Pay.gov with designated U.S. ports of entry; Mexico also updated passport fees to 920–4,280 pesos depending on validity.