The United States has introduced a major policy change for visa applicants, mandating that all interviews for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas must now be scheduled at a U.S. embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country of nationality or residence. The directive, which took effect as of September 6th 2025, effectively ends the long-standing practice of “visa shopping,” where applicants would travel to a third country to secure faster appointment dates.

This policy aims to streamline non-immigrant visa adjudications while managing global backlogs and security considerations

The decision is expected to significantly impact nationals from countries with a high volume of applicants and long waiting times, such as Nigeria, where individuals have often traveled to neighboring nations like Ghana or the Dominican Republic to obtain a visa.

Nationals of countries where the U.S. does not have a functioning diplomatic mission will be directed to a designated embassy in a third country. Additionally, rare exceptions may be granted for cases involving humanitarian or medical emergencies.