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On December 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of State announced that the Secretary of State has extended the authority of consular officers to waive the in-person visa interview requirement until December 31, 2023. This extension of the previous authorization includes the waiver of the in-person requirement for certain applications in the following visa categories:
- Temporary Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Workers (H-2 Visas)
- Students (F and M visas)
- Academic Exchange Visitors (Academic J Visas)
- Persons in Special Occupations (H-1B Visas)
- Intern or Special Education Exchange Visitors (H-3 visas)
- Intra-company transfers (L visas)
- Individuals of exceptional ability or achievement (O visas)
- Athletes, artists and entertainers (P visas)
- Participants in international cultural exchange programs (Q visas)
- Qualifying Derivatives
A previously approved waiver of the personal interview requirement for applicants renewing any type of visa in the same classification within forty-eight months of the expiration of the previous visa shall remain in effect until further notice.
According to the announcement, “[n]the early half of the nearly seven million nonimmigrant visas issued by the Department in fiscal year 2022 were processed without an in-person interview,” a fact the State Department sees as helping to improve long wait times exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The State Department cautions visa applicants that in-person interviews may still be required in some circumstances and encourages each visa applicant to check the website of the U.S. consulate that will process the application to confirm the availability of nonimmigrant services, as local conditions continue to develop.
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