Effective September 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of State requires most nonimmigrant visa applicants, including F-1 and J-1 students, to schedule their visa interviews exclusively in their country of citizenship or legal residence. This new policy effectively ends the practice of “third-country stamping,” a long-standing method for bypassing long visa wait times.
For a complete breakdown of the new policy, including important details on special cases, exemptions, and a list of key recommendations, please visit our dedicated ISS webpage: New U.S. Visa Interview Location Policy: Apply in Your Home Country (Effective Sept 6, 2025)
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