A new State Department policy has been released on Monday, December 13th pertaining to consular processing and consular processing applicants. Under the new ruling, certain visa applicants who are eligible will be able to waive the in-person interview that is normally required for those seeking a visa to the United States. This interview is usually the last step in consular processing cases, and is a chance for officers to check the consistency of ones written application with an in-person appearance.
The State Department has recognized that their continued ability to facilitate visa processing for applicants in any given country has a significant impact on that country’s bilateral relationship with the United States.[1] The Department has found that requiring the in-person interview is unnecessary and against the public interest because of the ongoing public health crisis relating to Covid-19 in many countries.
This new ruling will be in effect for at least 24 months unless the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) amended by the federal government is changed. For those interested in reading the full TFR, please click here.
Who is Eligible?
While it is up to the discretion of every consular officer whether or not to bring someone in for a formal interview, the Waiver of Personal Appearance directly applies to individuals who previously had an immigrant visa issued on, or after August 4th, 2019. However, during the immediate period after issuance, if the individual was unable to travel to the U.S. because of a Covid related travel restriction (issued via a Presidential Proclamation), they may be eligible for a waived interview at this later stage.
Applicants who are curious if their current visa is still valid should check with their respective U.S. consulate they initially went through the process with. The State Department has commented that such individuals may need to re-submit updated information to the consulate, and may need to fill out another DS-260 in some cases. In addition, new application processing fees may be required too.
