US Visa Rule Change Affects Indian Renewals

The United States is officially ending its Interview Waiver Programme, also known as the ‘Dropbox’ facility, for most non-immigrant visas starting September 2, 2025.

With this change, most applicants will

need to attend in-person interviews before a US consular officer.

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The move, which covers student and work visa categories, is expected to significantly affect thousands of Indian professionals and students who had planned to renew their visas.

In this explainer, we look at what the facility was and how its removal will impact Indians.

Let’s find out:

What is the ‘Dropbox’ programme?

For years, this option has allowed eligible

travellers to avoid in-person interviews by submitting their documents at a designated centre.

It was a quicker route, especially helpful for those with a clean visa record.

To be eligible, applicants needed to meet certain requirements, such as having no visa violations or falling within specific age limits.

With this change, most applicants will need to attend in-person interviews before a US consular officer. File image/AP

What are the changes? How will it affect Indians?

From September 2, 2025,

Dropbox renewals will no longer be available for most non-immigrant visa types, and applicants will have to attend in-person interviews.

This change comes after a directive from the US Department of State issued on July 25.
It will affect those renewing H1-B, L1, F1, or O1 visas. Even children under 14 and adults over 79 will now need to appear before a US consular officer for an interview abroad.

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The change

was announced last month under US President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, signed on July 4. US officials say the measure is aimed at “enhancing security” and tightening checks.

However, immigration supporters warn of confusion, long waits, and travel issues, especially in countries like India, which sends large numbers of H-1B workers and students to the US every year, The Indian Express reported.

Notable big changes

• Most interview waivers for visa renewals, including H-1B, H-4, L1, F, M,
  O1, J, and several others, will no longer be available.


• Diplomatic or official visas such as A, G, NATO, and TECRO will still be eligible for waivers.


• Children under 14 and seniors over 79 will also lose the waiver. All applicants must now appear before a consular officer.


• A small number of B-1/B-2 tourist and business visa renewals can continue without interviews, but only if they meet strict conditions.

Even if applicants meet these exceptions, consular officers can still require an interview.

From September 2, 2025, Dropbox renewals will no longer be available for most non-immigrant visa types. Image: News18

How will it impact Indians?

India is one of the largest users of the Dropbox system. US consulates in India already have some of the world’s longest visa wait times.

Ending Dropbox is expected to:

• Increase demand for interview appointments


• Delay academic plans for students


• Affect project timelines for companies that employ H-1B staff


• Extend waiting periods by months

The

effects are already being seen, as some Dropbox appointments in August and September 2025 have been cancelled, with applicants redirected to in-person interviews.

Applicants have been told to log into their visa appointment profiles, confirm the cancellations, and reschedule interviews under the new rules. In many cases, this means starting the application again and answering updated eligibility questions, according to a report by CNBC TV18.

Some B-1/B-2 visitor visa renewals may still qualify under

strict conditions, but consular officers can request in-person interviews when needed.

The main reason for suspending Dropbox in India is Washington’s plan to return to pre-pandemic visa screening practices.

For those whose August-September Dropbox slots were cancelled, the steps are: check for the cancellation email, confirm the status on the appointment portal, restart the application if required, and rebook under the new criteria. The cancellation itself does not count towards the limited number of allowed reschedules, the report added.