USA visas: students should apply in country of nationality or residence

In a statement earlier this month, the Department of State said that effective immediately it was updating instructions for all non-immigrant visa applicants, limiting the previous allowed practice of applying as a third-country national (TCN) in a different country.

For nationals of countries where the U.S. government is not conducting routine non-immigrant visa operations, applicants must apply at the designated embassy or consulate, unless their residence is elsewhere.

In the updated guidance, the Department of State said, “Applicants who schedule nonimmigrant interviews at a US embassy or consulate outside of their country of nationality or residence might find that it will be more difficult to qualify for the visa. Fees paid for such applications will not be refunded and cannot be transferred.”

The Department also warned that any applicants applying outside of their country of nationality or residence, they should expect to wait “significantly longer for an appointment”.

Visa appointments that were already scheduled before the State Department guidance on September 6th “will not generally be cancelled”, it was advised.

The ruling will likely cause some concern for students and agents in source countries with long wait times for a student visa interview. Previously, students may have been able to travel to a consulate in a neighboring country with a shorter wait time to secure their visa.

The latest global visa wait times published by the State Department show significant differences in wait times at different embassy posts.

While many embassy posts have wait times for interview slots of less than half a month, there are waits of 11 months and 8.5 months respectively in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Abuja. Meanwhile, Dhaka in Bangladesh has a listed wait time of five months currently.