The United States Department of State has announced new restrictions on immigrant visa applications, requiring applicants to attend their interviews strictly within the consular district where they reside, or in their country of nationality if requested. The policy, which takes effect on November 1, 2025, ends the long-standing flexibility that allowed applicants to choose their interview location abroad.
According to the Department, the change forms part of the Trump administration’s wider effort to tighten immigration rules and increase oversight of the visa process. All immigrant visa categories will be affected, including family-based visas, employment-based visas, and winners of the Diversity Visa lottery. While officials noted that “rare exceptions” may be made for humanitarian or medical emergencies, they did not provide details on how these exemptions would be handled.
The new directive poses significant challenges for applicants in countries where U.S. embassies are closed or visa services remain suspended. In such cases, the State Department has designated alternative embassies or consulates in third countries, meaning some applicants may have to travel farther at greater cost to complete the process.
Families and U.S. employers are expected to bear the brunt of the change. Experts warn that longer wait times, higher travel expenses, and stricter documentation requirements could delay family reunifications and affect companies seeking to bring immigrant workers into the country. Legal practitioners have urged families and businesses to plan ahead, as disruptions in scheduling could create bottlenecks.
Despite these concerns, U.S. officials maintain that “most applicants will not have their interviews canceled or moved.” Still, immigration lawyers caution that the new policy represents one of the most restrictive shifts in recent years, with far-reaching implications for visa applicants worldwide.
