US ends third-country visa stamping: What it means and the changes travellers can expect

The US government has officially ended the “third-country visa stamping” option for nonimmigrant visa applicants. This is a major policy change that travelers, students, and US-based professionals need to understand. Here’s what it means, what’s changed, and how it could affect travel plans.
Until now, if someone needed a new US visa stamp (like H-1B, B1/B2, F1, etc.), they didn’t always have to return to their home country for the in-person consulate interview. Instead, they could book appointments in another country, say, an Indian H-1B worker living in the US could get their visa stamped in Thailand, Mexico, or Germany, often to avoid long wait times at home. For many, this “third-country stamping” shortcut was a lifesaver, helping cut months (or even years) off the wait, especially after COVID-era backlogs.

As of September 6, 2025, the US State Department now requires all nonimmigrant visa applicants to attend consulate interviews only in their country of citizenship or legal residence. Here’s what’s new and important:
No more flying to a third country just for a quicker visa appointment.
Bookings made in the wrong country could get cancelled, with the risk of losing non-refundable visa fees.
Existing appointments (already scheduled) won’t be cancelled, but from now on, new bookings must follow the home country rule.

Anyone needing a fresh US visa stamp is included, business travelers (B1/B2), students (F1), workers (H-1B, O-1), and even those on exchange visitor programs (J-1). The change is especially tough for Indians, Chinese, Brazilians, and citizens of other countries with huge US visa demand and notoriously long interview waits—sometimes up to 20 months for a slot.

Longer waits: If your home country’s US consulate has a large backlog, expect even longer waits, no “quick” appointments in Singapore or Dubai anymore.
Missed deadlines: Students facing university start dates, business travelers with meetings, or families needing to attend events may risk missing them because of visa slot delays and unavoidable disruptions.

The only exceptions: If your country has no US embassy or consulate (like Afghanistan or Russia’s current situation), there’s a list of designated posts you can use. Otherwise, you must stick to your home/resident country.
"This guidance does not apply to applicants for A, G, C-2, C-3, NATO visas, applicants for diplomatic-type or official-type visas (regardless of classification), or applicants for any visa for travel covered by the UN Headquarters Agreement. Rare exceptions may also be made for humanitarian or medical emergencies or foreign policy reasons," the US Department of State has said.