Visa Application Policy Update

Original communication sent on September 15, 2025

As of September 6, 2025, there has been an important update regarding U.S. visa issuance policy. Please carefully read the information below.

The Department of State has issued instructions that going forward, all nonimmigrant visa applicants should schedule their visa interview at an embassy or consulate within their country of nationality, or, must be able to demonstrate residence in the country which they have applied for the interview if applying outside of their home country.

If your visa interview has already been scheduled in a country where you hold nationality or residence, your appointment should be unaffected by this update. If you have not yet scheduled a visa appointment, going forward you will need to schedule at an embassy or consulate location where you have nationality or residence.

I have scheduled a visa interview in a country where I do not have nationality or residence, what should I do?

If you scheduled your appointment before September 6, the notification notes that existing visa appointments will generally not be cancelled. However, it also states that applicants applying outside of a country of nationality or residence should expect significantly longer wait times for an appointment. It is unclear if this stipulation applies to appointments already scheduled, or only to appointments booked after the effective date of the policy change.

You may want to reach out to the consulate where you have scheduled your interview to clarify. If the wait time for the appointment will be significantly longer, or you are concerned you may be turned away due to this update, you may want to reschedule your interview at an embassy or consulate where you have nationality or residence. You should be able reschedule your visa interview appointment by returning to your U.S. visa profile and selecting “Reschedule Appointment” on the left side of your dashboard.

Are there any exceptions for this policy change?

The notification states that rare exceptions may be made for humanitarian or medical emergencies, or for foreign policy reasons. You would need to provide sufficient evidence to the scheduled embassy / consulate to be considered for an exception.

I live in a country that does not have a U.S. embassy / consulate or does not perform nonimmigrant visa issuance, where should I schedule my interview?

The notice has provided a list of specific locations where nationals in this scenario should apply, unless they have residence elsewhere:

The ISSO is here for you.

We are looking forward to your arrival to the United States and UT Dallas, and we intend to support you through every step of your journey. You can prepare for your visa appointment with a Mock Visa Interview, or for any other concerns you can make an appointment with our Prospective Advising team. We also offer a variety of virtual events for prospective international students before you arrive.