The workaround that Indian applicants have leaned on for two years — booking a US visa interview in Dubai, Bangkok or Colombo because slots in India are months out — is now working against them. The State Department instructs nonimmigrant applicants to interview in their country of nationality or residence, and says applying elsewhere makes it harder to qualify.
In this guide2 sections
What the notice says#
Updated on 15 July 2026 and headed "effective immediately", it reads: applicants "should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or residence." Three consequences follow, in the Department's own words:
- Qualifying gets harder. Applicants who interview outside their country of nationality or residence "might find that it will be more difficult to qualify for the visa."
- The money is gone. "Fees paid for such applications will not be refunded and cannot be transferred."
- The wait is longer, not shorter. Applicants applying outside their country "should expect to wait significantly longer for an appointment."
There is also a residence test: applicants "must be able to demonstrate residence in the country where they are applying", if that is the basis for applying there.
The same notice now sits on the US Mission India visa page as a standing instruction to applicants.
What it changes in practice for Indians#
A queue-jumping trip to a third-country consulate now costs the $185 MRV fee with no refund, a likely longer wait, and a weaker application. For an Indian passport holder resident in India, the only legitimate posts are New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Indians who genuinely live abroad — in the Gulf, for instance — apply where they reside, and should be ready to prove that residence.
That makes the domestic queue the real game again: emergency-appointment requests where travel is genuinely urgent, and watching for cancellation drops in the four big cities. City guides: Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and the current picture on wait times.
Agents still advertising "guaranteed Dubai slots" for Indian applicants are selling a route the Department has told officers to view sceptically — see how visa agent fraud works.
VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with the US government or ustraveldocs. Check travel.state.gov before you book.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an Indian still book a US visa interview in Dubai or Bangkok?
- The system may still show slots, but the State Department instructs applicants to interview in their country of nationality or residence, warns that applying elsewhere makes it "more difficult to qualify for the visa", and states that the MRV fee paid for such an application "will not be refunded and cannot be transferred".
- I already have an appointment in a third country. Is it cancelled?
- Not automatically. The notice says existing nonimmigrant appointments "will generally not be cancelled", and that where specific posts do cancel, applicants will be notified. The adjudication itself, however, follows the new guidance.
- Who is exempt from the country-of-residence rule?
- Applicants for A, G, C-2, C-3 and NATO visas, applicants for diplomatic-type or official-type visas, and travel covered by the UN Headquarters Agreement. Rare exceptions may be made for humanitarian or medical emergencies or foreign policy reasons.