The United States has expanded the list of visas that no longer require an interview

The US Department of State announced that it will reduce the waiting time for a nonimmigrant temporary work visa by eliminating consular interviews, and will expand the list of applicants who will now be able to obtain a visa without a mandatory interview. This is stated on department site.

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“We are pleased to announce that consular officers may now waive in-person interviews for certain individual nonimmigrant work visas for eligible applicants through December 31, 2022,” the department said.

Previously, these categories included only:

• persons in special occupations (H-1B visas);
• trainees or special education recipients (H-3 visas);
• in-house translators (L visas);
• persons with exceptional ability or achievement (O visas);
• athletes, artists, as well as participants in international cultural life (P visas);
• exchange program participants (Q visas).

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Now, the Department of State is expanding this program to several more types of nonimmigrant visas, namely:

• temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers (H-2 visas);
• students (F and M visas);
• student exchange program participants (academic J visas).

In addition, applicants who apply for an extension of a previously obtained type of nonimmigrant visa within 48 months of the expiration of their previous visa will also be able to obtain it without having to go through an interview at the consulate. In this case, the rule is not limited to December 31, 2022.

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“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant reduction in the Department's visa processing capacity. As global tourism recovers, we are taking these temporary steps to further meet our commitment to safely and effectively reduce visa wait times while maintaining national security as our priority. We made this decision with the consent of our partners at the Department of Homeland Security,” the State Department said in a statement.

Embassies and consulates may still require a face-to-face interview on an individual basis and depending on local conditions.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• USA canceled interviews on some immigrant visas.

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