In a big move, the US Embassy in India has announced changes to its policy for non-immigrant visas (tourist/business visas). From January 1, 2025, non-immigrant visa applications can only be rescheduled once.

If an applicant misses the appointment or needs to reschedule it a second time, they will be required to pay the application fees again. The embassy stated that this decision has been made to ensure everyone has a fair chance at securing visa interview appointments and to reduce wait times.

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In an official post, the US Embassy in India wrote, "To make sure everyone has a fair chance at getting a visa interview appointment and to reduce wait times, we're making some changes. Starting January 1, 2025, you can still schedule your first nonimmigrant visa appointment at the location of your choice."

"If you need to reschedule for any reason, you will be able to do that one time. If you miss your appointment or need to reschedule a second time, you'll need to book a new appointment and repay your application fee. Since wait times are long, please make sure you can attend on the date you've selected," the post further read.

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The embassy asserted that these changes will make it easier and faster for everyone to secure appointments. "We encourage applicants to attend their scheduled appointments to keep the process efficient and fair for everyone," the post added.