US Visa Interview Waivers Have Almost Disappeared: Who Must Now Attend in Person

Almost every applicant for a United States visa now has to attend an in-person interview. The State Department's current interview waiver policy, in force since 1 October 2025, leaves only a narrow group who can renew without one.

Who must now interview
In general, everyone. That includes children under 14 and applicants over 79, who used to be exempt. Families can no longer send only the adults.

Who can still be waived
A small number of groups, under strict conditions.

Diplomatic and official visa applicants in specified categories.

Applicants renewing a full-validity visitor visa, the B-1, B-2 or combined B1/B2, or a Mexican Border Crossing Card, where the previous visa expired within the last 12 months.

Applicants renewing an H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa within the same 12-month window.

The conditions that apply even then
Renewal applicants must apply in their country of nationality or residence. They must not have been refused a US visa before, unless that refusal was overcome. And there must be no sign of any ineligibility.

Even when all of that is met, a consular officer can still require an interview. A waiver is a possibility, not an entitlement.

What this means in practice
A visa that lapsed more than a year ago now means an interview. So does a first application, a change of category, and any application for a child.

For families, the effect multiplies. Every member attends, and appointments have to be coordinated, which is harder at posts with long queues.

What to do
Check your visa's expiry date now. If you are within the 12-month renewal window and meet the other conditions, apply before it closes.

If you are not eligible for a waiver, plan around an interview from the start. Book the earliest appointment you can, and do not commit to non-refundable travel until the visa is issued.

Verified against the US Department of State interview waiver update of 18 September 2025, still current at 1 October 2026.