Are Indian students the biggest beneficiary of US visa interview waiver

What is the US visa waiver program?

Also known as the “dropbox”, the US visa interview waiver permitted some nonimmigrant applicants to renew their US visas, without giving the face-to-face consular interview. This interview waiver was introduced during the COVID and in the coming years, it was used to fasten the visa processing for low-risk, or repeated visa applicants. However, it is always recommended to go through the eligibility rules for the US visa interview waiver.

For those students applying for F1 student visa, a lot of time gets saved and they don’t even have to wait in long queues at the US Embassy New Delhi or any other consulates. However, it is always recommended to go through the US visa application online process and see if you meet the eligibility criteria for a US visa interview waiver before you apply.

Also Read: How to Apply for US Student Visa in 2025?

Why are Indian students the biggest beneficiaries of the visa waiver program?

These are the primary reasons why Indian students are the biggest beneficiaries of the dropbox program.

• High volume of Indian students in the US: SEVIS count shows there are a large number of Indian students with active F-1/M-1 visa records in the US (out of the 1,582,808 active F-1 and M-1 student records in the U.S. overall 422,335 were Indian students), which means more Indian student visa holders who could benefit from waivers when renewals were allowed. Since the population of India is large, more students will enrol and frequently renew their visas, leading to higher visa renewals and SEVIS fee payment for F1 visa transactions. This is the foundational reason India appeared to benefit more than most countries.

• More number of visa renewals and repeated travellers to the US: The purpose of the interview waiver program was to help with visa renewals. When Indian students returned to India, they applied to renew study visas in the USA and were eligible for a ‘low-risk, repeat applicant’ profile, and to use the dropbox-type exemptions as compared to other countries.

• Operational setup in India: The US mission in India handled a high volume of visa applications and also provided centralized services. Using waivers made the process more streamlined for Indian applicants through the US Visa Scheduling New Portal and US Visa Travel Doc website.

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What are the metrics on which the biggest beneficiary depends on?

The biggest beneficiary depends on the following metrics:

• Absolute number of waived interviews

• Relative benefit per applicant

• Economic impact

If we compare these factors, due to the large population, frequency of visa renewals and centralized USCIS processing structure, India dominated every other country.

The US 2025 Policy Reversals that Changed the Story

In 2025, the US Department of State first narrowed and then eventually ended the flexibilities associated with the interview waiver program introduced during the pandemic. In July-September 2025, the eligibility for this program was tightened, and thereon, from early September/October 2025, even those categories that used interview waivers returned back to in-person interviews.

Who else other than Indian students benefited from the dropbox program?

These are the people who benefited from the US interview-waiver program other than Indian students.

• Chinese students: China has always been the largest student sending country to the US (329,541 active F-1/M-1 student records in the U.S. from China in 2024), and they used the renewals and waivers a lot as compared to other countries.

• Repeat business and tourist travelers from many countries: Different countries that have a lot of B1/B2 renewals and repeat traveler populations.

• H-1B holders and employers: When waivers covered some employment categories, Indians (who receive a large share of H-1Bs) benefited in absolute terms — but this depended on category-specific eligibility.

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Practical implications for Indian students today

These are some important considerations associated with the US interview-waiver program.

• Don’t assume you are eligible for a waiver: After the announcements made in September-October, 2025, the eligibility of waiver programs was minimised. Therefore, check the department notice, check the US visa travel doc website or USCIS announcements and do not assume that you are eligible for US interview-waivers.

• Book early interviews and plan your budget accordingly: Plan and book interview slots as early as possible so that you complete preferred F1 visa slot booking. Fix a budget for everything–from student visa USA cost, SEVIS fee payment, and travel expenses (don’t forget to compare the flight tickets on Skyscanner).

• Prepare the necessary documentation for interviews: Gather all the required financial proof, valid passport, form I-20, SEVIS fee receipt, DS-160 confirmation page, admission letter from a US university, study materials etc required for the visa interview.

Watch visa issuance trends: Just like F-1 visas declined in 2025, associated policies have changed. Therefore, keep a check on the visa issuance trends.