🔴Effective September 2, 2025, the US Department of State is rescinding the policy of waiving nonimmigrant visa extension interviews that was implemented during the pandemic. Now most nonimmigrant visa extension applicants will again be required to interview with a consular officer.
‼️This applies to extensions of the following nonimmigrant visas:
✔️H visas (temporary workers)
✔️L visas (intra-company transfer)
✔️F and M visas (students and interns)
✔️J visas (exchange program participants, including scientists, researchers)
✔️O-1 visas (talent visa)
❗️Under the new policy, even children under 14 and adults over 79 will be required to undergo an interview with a consular officer.
✅Exceptions for nonimmigrant visa extensions without an interview:
✔️Diplomats and employees of international organizations: applicants for A-1, A-2, C-3 visas (except attendants or personal employees), G-1 through G-4, and NATO-1 through NATO-6 visas.
✔️Diplomatic visa applicants
✔️B1/B2 tourist visa extension applicants who:
– applied in their country of citizenship or residence
– were over 18 years when their previous visa was issued
– have never been denied a visa
– have no grounds for visa denial
❗️Even if a nonimmigrant visa extension applicant meets the requirements for an interview waiver, the consular officer may still, at them discretion, request an in-person interview.
✔️Prepare documents for a non-immigrant visa extension and most importantly, prepare for the interview must be with an immigration lawyer.
Without good preparation, you may be denied a visa extension, it will increase the cost for the services of a lawyer and will create a lot of problems for you.
Immigration lawyer Irina Lust
17 years of experience
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