The State Department announced on Thursday that through next year, consular officers will be able to forego in-person interviews for H-1B and other non-immigrant visa applicants, reducing visa wait times.
“The COVID-19 outbreak significantly reduced the department’s visa processing capabilities,” it said in a statement. “As global travel picks up, we’re taking these interim steps to keep our goal to reducing visa wait times securely and effectively while protecting national security as our top concern.”
Nearly a dozen visa categories, including H-1B visas for those in specialty occupations, student visas, temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers, student exchange visits, sports, artists, and entertainers, will now be temporarily exempt from in-person interviews.
The complete list of visa types for which the appointment may now be waived can be found on the DHS website.
The authorization to forgo the in-person interview for applicants renewing a visa in the same visa class within 48 months of the previous visa’s expiration has also been extended indefinitely, according to the State Department.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the US State Department suspended all normal visa services in most countries worldwide in March 2020. While the services have been reintroduced with a restricted capacity and on a priority basis, due to a significant backlog, certain visa appointments are still months away.
