India, Aug. 1 -- The US Department of State announced sweeping changes to its visa interview waiver policy last month. Effective September 2, 2025, applicants for US non-immigrant visas, including those applying for H-1B visas and those under the age of 14 and over 79, will have to appear for in-person interviews with a consular officer.

Announced on July 25, the latest decision reverses the February 18, 2025 policy. Besides tightening the eligibility criteria, it further limits applicants who can skip visa interviews and only provides exceptions for a few categories.

This non-immigrant visa category allows employers in the United States to hire foreign workers in speciality occupations.

After the latest changes, those applying under t...