Game-Changer for Indian US Visa Applicants: 'Third Country' Option Ends!

A significant policy overhaul has sent ripples through the Indian community seeking to travel to the United States. The US Embassy in India has officially announced the cessation of "third country national" (TCN) visa appointments for Indian citizens, a move that fundamentally reshapes the application landscape for millions.

Effective immediately, Indian applicants for non-immigrant visas – including popular categories like B1/B2 for tourism/business, H1B for skilled workers, L1 for intra-company transferees, and F1 for students – will no longer be able to schedule their visa interviews in countries other than India or their current country of legal residence.

This puts an end to a long-standing practice where many Indians, facing extensive wait times in their home country, would opt to apply for their US visas from nations like Thailand, Singapore, or the UAE, where appointments were often more readily available and processing quicker.

For years, these TCN appointments offered a convenient workaround, allowing applicants to bypass the sometimes-arduous queues within India.

It was a strategic choice for many, especially those needing to renew visas or those with urgent travel plans, providing a much-needed avenue for faster processing. The ability to combine a visa interview with a short international trip made it an attractive option for a considerable number of applicants, easing the pressure on the US consular services in India.

While the US mission has not explicitly detailed the reasons behind this abrupt change, it is widely understood to be an effort to streamline operations and dedicate consular resources exclusively to residents within India.

The US Embassy has been actively working to reduce visa wait times in India, having processed a record-breaking 1.4 million visas in 2023 alone. This new policy, however, is expected to place an even greater burden on the already strained Indian visa processing system, potentially reversing some of the progress made in reducing appointment delays.

The impact of this decision will be felt across various applicant groups.

H-1B visa holders, for instance, who frequently utilized third-country appointments for their renewals, will now have to factor in longer waits or travel back to India specifically for their interviews. Students, tourists, and business professionals alike will find their options significantly narrowed, potentially causing disruptions to travel plans and increased logistical challenges.

The era of a quick hop to a neighboring country for a US visa interview is decisively over.

As Indian applicants adapt to this new reality, it underscores the need for meticulous planning and patience. The US Embassy's commitment to prioritizing applications from within India means that future visa seekers must now navigate a more centralized and potentially more congested system, highlighting a pivotal shift in the global US visa application framework for one of its largest applicant pools.