Ahmedabad : The United States Department of State has introduced a major change in the eligibility criteria for visa renewal under the interview waiver program, commonly referred to as the ‘dropbox’ facility, in India. According to an update on the US Travel Docs website, the permissible period for an interview waiver has now been reduced from 36 months to just 12 months.

Previously, individuals who had been issued a non-immigrant visa (excluding B visitor visas) within three years of expiration were eligible for an interview waiver. However, under the revised policy, only those whose visas expired within the past year will now qualify for renewal without an interview. This rule applies to all applicants except children below 14 years and senior citizens aged 80 or above.

Additionally, individuals applying for an H1B visa renewal who originally held a visa in a different category—such as an F1 student visa—will no longer be eligible for an interview waiver. Visa consultants advise applicants to thoroughly check their eligibility before proceeding with their renewal applications.

Parthesh Thakkar, a visa consultant based in Ahmedabad, highlighted that this policy adjustment is a part of the US government’s efforts to strengthen the screening process for non-immigrant visas. This change will likely lead to a rise in the number of people who need to attend in-person visa interviews.Factors such as travel frequency, financial background, and visa type may also play a role in determining eligibility,” he explained.

Speaking on the impact of this policy shift, Maulin Joshi, another visa expert from Ahmedabad, noted that students renewing their F1 visas might still benefit from the interview waiver. However, senior citizens who may inadvertently miss renewing their visas in time could face difficulties. “It remains to be seen how significantly this rule will affect applicants, but early trends suggest it could cause inconvenience for many,” he added.

The state of Gujarat has a substantial number of US visa holders, and experts believe this change could have a pronounced effect on residents. Immigration consultant Parag Patel emphasized that many applicants preferred the interview waiver process due to the anxiety surrounding visa interviews. “People often worry about their visa being denied or the interview not going smoothly. The dropbox option provided a sense of relief. Although interview waivers never guaranteed approval, this system made the process less stressful for many. Now, with the tighter rules, applicants must carefully review the new guidelines before submitting their renewal applications,” Patel advised.

As the new regulations come into effect, visa applicants are urged to stay updated on the evolving policies to avoid unexpected hurdles in their renewal process.

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