A pivotal U.S. State Department rule linking immigrant-visa interviews to an applicant’s country (and even district) of residence became effective worldwide on 1 November 2025.
For most Indian nationals, the change is neutral—Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai remain fully operational—but the policy eliminates the workaround of scheduling immigrant-visa interviews in third countries famed for shorter wait times (for example, Singapore or Abu Dhabi). Non-immigrant visa interviews were already subject to a similar residence rule from 6 September.
![U.S. Interview-Location Rule Takes Effect: What Indian Immigrant-Visa Applicants Must Know]()
Key implications:
1. **Cross-border booking banned:** Consular systems will auto-block appointment creation unless the applicant’s passport or proof of residence matches the consular district.
2. **Exception narrow:** Humanitarian or medical travel can justify an out-of-district interview, but requests must be routed through the National Visa Centre and can add 4–6 weeks of processing.
3. **Evidence of residence:** Consular officers now require robust proof (tax returns, utility bills, employer letters) to confirm domicile.
Indian corporates relocating staff to the U.S. under family-based or EB categories should review relocation timelines. Dependents studying abroad (e.g., in the UAE or the UK) must travel back to India for interviews unless they acquire resident status in their host country. Employers should also budget for higher travel expenses and potential scheduling bottlenecks during the December–January peak.
The State Department defends the rule as an anti-fraud measure aimed at curbing agent-driven “visa shopping.” Critics argue it will lengthen queues in high-demand posts like Mumbai, which already has a 200-day median immigrant-visa wait time. Industry associations are lobbying for an India-specific pilot to allow limited cross-post load-balancing if appointment backlogs exceed six months.
For most Indian nationals, the change is neutral—Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai remain fully operational—but the policy eliminates the workaround of scheduling immigrant-visa interviews in third countries famed for shorter wait times (for example, Singapore or Abu Dhabi). Non-immigrant visa interviews were already subject to a similar residence rule from 6 September.
Key implications:
1. **Cross-border booking banned:** Consular systems will auto-block appointment creation unless the applicant’s passport or proof of residence matches the consular district.
2. **Exception narrow:** Humanitarian or medical travel can justify an out-of-district interview, but requests must be routed through the National Visa Centre and can add 4–6 weeks of processing.
3. **Evidence of residence:** Consular officers now require robust proof (tax returns, utility bills, employer letters) to confirm domicile.
Indian corporates relocating staff to the U.S. under family-based or EB categories should review relocation timelines. Dependents studying abroad (e.g., in the UAE or the UK) must travel back to India for interviews unless they acquire resident status in their host country. Employers should also budget for higher travel expenses and potential scheduling bottlenecks during the December–January peak.
The State Department defends the rule as an anti-fraud measure aimed at curbing agent-driven “visa shopping.” Critics argue it will lengthen queues in high-demand posts like Mumbai, which already has a 200-day median immigrant-visa wait time. Industry associations are lobbying for an India-specific pilot to allow limited cross-post load-balancing if appointment backlogs exceed six months.
