Consular officers may waive the personal appearance and interview requirements for certain replacement immigrant visa applicants under a new Temporary Final Rule.

Immigrant visa applicants who meet the following criteria may not need to make another in-person appearance before a consular officer for an interview, execution of their application, and oath:

• The immigrant visa was issued on or after August 4, 2019;
• The applicant did not travel to the United States on the immigrant visa; and
• The applicant seeks and remains qualified for an immigrant visa in the same classification as the expired immigrant visa or in certain automatic category conversions, and pursuant to the same approved petition.

Applicants meeting these criteria may wish to contact the consular section that issued their prior immigrant visa and inquire about their eligibility for this provision.  Applicants may be required to submit new DS-260 applications, provide any required updated documents, submit medical exams, and pay the application processing fees.  Please note that applicants who meet these criteria may still be required to appear in-person before a consular officer.

This Temporary Final Rule expires on December 13, 2023.