Overview
- The global policy ends routine interview waivers that previously allowed many first-time and B1/B2 renewal applicants to skip in-person consular meetings
- Diplomatic and official visa categories plus a narrow class of B1/B2 renewals within 12 months of expiration qualify for exemptions, but consular officers may still request interviews case by case
- Applicants face already lengthy waits—up to 330 days in Madrid and 289 days in Buenos Aires—making advanced planning essential
- This measure follows recent visa-integrity steps including a $250 integrity fee, a consular bond pilot and stricter USCIS family-based vetting
- Separate negotiations to reinstate Argentina in the Visa Waiver Program under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem are ongoing but likely won’t conclude for more than a year and require major security and biometric upgrades