State Department Requires Visa Applicants to Interview Where They Live or Hold Citizenship

What Changed

The U.S. Department of State has begun enforcing a rule that nonimmigrant visa applicants — including those seeking tourist, student, and business visas — must schedule their interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate either in their country of citizenship or in the country where they legally reside. The requirement took effect November 1, 2025, though the department's detailed public guidance was posted in mid-December.

For nationals of about 20 countries where the United States does not conduct routine visa operations — among them Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen — the department has designated specific alternate posts where those applicants should instead apply.

Applicants who try to interview somewhere other than their home country or country of residence should expect substantially longer waits for an appointment, and any fee paid is non-refundable and cannot be transferred to a different post if the application is filed in the wrong jurisdiction. Those applying based on residency, rather than citizenship, must be able to show they actually live in that country. Diplomatic, official, NATO, and UN-related travelers are exempt, as are people with a genuine humanitarian or medical emergency. Interviews already scheduled before the policy took effect generally remain valid.

What This Means for Applicants

Analysis: This is a housekeeping-sounding change with a real practical bite. For years, some applicants have shopped around for consular posts with shorter wait times or a reputation for friendlier officers — sometimes flying to a third country solely to interview there. This rule closes that option for the vast majority of routine cases.

The clearest effect will fall on people living outside their home country without a stable, provable residence — students on short-term programs, contract workers between assignments, or dual nationals unsure which passport's post to use. Anyone in that situation should confirm well in advance which consulate has jurisdiction over their case, since transfer requests go through the National Visa Center rather than being handled directly by consulates.

We'd also flag the ambiguity in how "residence" gets verified: what counts as sufficient proof (a lease, a work permit, a school enrollment letter) isn't detailed in the public guidance, which leaves room for inconsistent application from post to post. Applicants in an unusual living situation should keep documentation ready rather than assume a favorable read.

This is factual reporting on a State Department policy change, not legal advice. Applicants with questions about their specific situation should consult an immigration attorney or their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Source

Original — US Department of State

This is original commentary based on the source below, not legal advice. Confirm details with the official source.