The Indian appointment rules under the Visa Interview Waiver or Dropbox programme have been updated, as stated in a report by the Financial Express. Now, Dropbox eligibility is limited to applicants renewing a visa in the same nonimmigrant category that expired within the past 12 months.
The Dropbox programme streamlines visa renewal by eliminating the need for eligible individuals to attend in-person visa interviews at the US Embassy and Consulates.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows nationals of select countries to travel to the US for tourism or business (visitor visa purposes) for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. However, Indian nationals do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program.
Previously, the Visa Interview Waiver or Dropbox programme in India allowed applicants with a nonimmigrant visa that had expired within the last 48 months to qualify. Now, the eligibility period has been reduced to 12 months.
For instance, F-1 students who changed their status to H-1B within the US could previously utilise the Dropbox process, which primarily involves submitting documents for consular processing and providing biometrics.
The 48-month eligibility window was initially extended during the COVID-19 pandemic to ease consular backlogs and was expected to remain indefinitely.
Visa applicants renewing their visas under specific conditions or meeting certain age requirements may still schedule an interview waiver appointment. Repeat travellers to the US may, in some cases, renew their visas without appearing for an in-person interview at the US Embassy/Consulate.
If eligible, applicants may submit their visa applications at a Visa Application Center (VAC) under the Interview Waiver process without requiring a consular interview. Each visa applicant — whether an individual, dependent family member or part of a group — must independently meet the eligibility criteria on the day of submission.
Indian applicants must provide documentation verifying their residency status, such as a photocopy of an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, an employment visa, or other government-issued documents.
With the new rule, only those whose previous visas in the same category expired within the past 12 months remain eligible for Dropbox processing. Applicants who do not meet this criterion must reschedule an in-person visa interview to avoid rejection or processing delays.
H-1B, L-1, O-1, and other nonimmigrant visa holders who previously relied on Dropbox processing for renewals may be significantly impacted by this change.
The revised policy could lead to increased demand for in-person visa appointments at US consulates and embassies, resulting in longer wait times for those renewing visas via Dropbox.
Before travelling, confirm your eligibility. If your previous visa expired over a year ago or if you are applying for a different visa type, you may need to schedule an in-person interview. Consider utilising Premium Processing for H-1B extensions to minimise travel disruptions.
To optimise efficiency, the US Embassy and Consulates in India are centralising most nonimmigrant visa interview waiver cases in Chennai. This change applies to all visa categories except B1/B2 short-term visitor visas, which will continue to be processed at all consular sections.
Previously scheduled interview waiver appointments remain unchanged. However, starting October 1, new C1/D, F, H, J, L, and M interview waiver appointments will only be available in Chennai.
Applicants may still drop off and pick up their interview waiver documents at any of the five Visa Application Centers or six Document Drop-Off Centers across India.
