The US Embassy in India has announced that starting in January 2025, individuals will only be allowed to reschedule nonimmigrant visa appointments once for free. If a second rescheduling is needed, a new appointment must be booked, and the application fee will need to be repaid.

The embassy announced the change in policy on Wednesday on its socials, where it said, “Starting January 1, 2025, to reduce wait times and ensure everyone has a chance for a visa interview, visa applicants will be able to reschedule their appointments one time at no cost.”

It said that the applicants can schedule their nonimmigrant visa appointments at the choice of any location. From January 1, 2025, they will be allowed to reschedule for any reason for one time, without added costs.

However, according to the embassy, if an applicant misses their appointment or needs to reschedule for a second time, they will need to book a new appointment and repay the application fee.

The embassy claimed that these changes will make it easier and faster to get appointments, and urged the applicants to appear for scheduled appointments to keep the process ‘efficient and fair’.

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