{"id":84943,"date":"2025-09-03T18:49:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/?p=84943"},"modified":"2025-09-03T18:49:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:49:41","slug":"us-exempts-drop-box-visa-facility-for-these-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/pakistan\/us-exempts-drop-box-visa-facility-for-these-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"US exempts Drop Box visa facility for THESE countries"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, DC: The United States officially shut down the ‘drop-box<\/a>‘ facility, or Interview Waiver Program (IWP), for non-immigrant visa applicants from 57 nations.<\/p>\n

This will introduce tougher scrutiny, increased waiting time, and additional expenses for students, professionals, and tourists.<\/p>\n

What Was the ‘Drop-Box’ System?<\/h2>\n

The program enabled the eligible applicants to renew visas without the need to show up for a personal interview by providing documents at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
\nIt was extensively utilized by visitors, students, and qualified workers seeking visa renewals.
\nWhat Changed on September 2?<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of State has terminated interview waivers for those applying from nations such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Egypt, Haiti, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n

All applicants, students, tourists, or professionals now have to show up in person at an American embassy or consulate.<\/p>\n

Who Loses Waiver Privileges?<\/h2>\n

Previously, waivers were granted to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Children under 14 and individuals above 79 years.<\/li>\n
  • Types like H-1B (special workers), L-1 (firm transfers), F-1 (students), O-1 (exceptional ability), and B-1\/B-2 visitor visas.
    \nFrom now on, most of them will have to go for interviews, irrespective of whether it is an initial application or a renewal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Limited Exceptions<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Specific official and diplomatic visas.<\/li>\n
    • Some types are associated with international organizations.<\/li>\n
    • A very limited number of B-1\/B-2 extensions for full-validity visas.<\/li>\n
    • Nevertheless, consular officers can require interviews at their discretion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Anticipated Results<\/h2>\n

      Consulates are now required to schedule a lot more in-person interviews, stretching appointment slots.
      \nOne free reschedule provision: Applicants can now reschedule an appointment one time for free, as of January 1. Any additional changes could cost the visa fee again.<\/p>\n

      Fee Increases Coming Up<\/h2>\n

      I-94 Record Fee: Increasing from $6 to $30 for land arrivals and visitors from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nations.
      \nESTA Fee: Almost doubling from $21 to $40, for VWP visitors through at least 2034.
      \nVisa Integrity Fee: A New $250 fee is coming later this year for most non-immigrant visas, which will be used to cover increased screening.<\/p>\n

      Other Restricting Measures<\/h2>\n

      Visa Bonds: Some B-1\/B-2 applicants from nations such as Zambia and Malawi are required to deposit $5,000\u2013$15,000, which can only be returned if visa terms are met.<\/p>\n

      Increased Vetting: Increased document verification and enforced social media checks are delaying approvals.
      \nFixed Stays Proposal: Proposals to substitute open-ended stays for F-1 (students), J-1 (exchange visitors), and visas (journalists) with fixed entry periods, applying for extension.<\/p>\n

      H-1B Reforms: A possible 2026 regulation could distribute visas by salary level rather than random lottery\u2014projected to especially impact Indian professionals.<\/p>\n

      Passport Pickup Rules: For the past several months, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has made passport pickups in person mandatory since August. Parents picking up for minors must deliver signed consent letters; scanned or emailed authorizations are not accepted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      WASHINGTON, DC: The United States officially shut down the ‘drop-box‘ facility, or Interview Waiver Program (IWP), for non-immigrant visa applicants from 57 nations. This will introduce tougher scrutiny, increased waiting time, and additional expenses for students, professionals, and tourists. What Was the ‘Drop-Box’ System? The program enabled the eligible applicants to renew visas without the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":67317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[19995,31031],"class_list":["post-84943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan","tag-us-visa","tag-us-visa-drop-box"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84943"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84944,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84943\/revisions\/84944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyausaf.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}