New State Department regulations will soon require most H-1B and other nonimmigrant visa holders to undergo mandatory in-person interviews for visa renewals, a change expected to create significant challenges for Silicon Valley’s tech sector. The new rule, which takes effect on September 2, 2025, effectively ends the popular Interview Waiver Program, which previously allowed many to renew their visas without returning to their home countries.
Audrea Golding, an immigration attorney, confirmed that this change will affect not only H-1B visa holders but also their children and dependents under the age of 14 and over 79. “Now, the requirement will be that the person goes, typically, back to their home country, to apply for that visa,” Golding explained.
Experts warn that the new policy could lead to significant processing delays. Bill Hing, a professor of Law and Migration Studies at the University of San Francisco, said, “It’s going to be a problem for the Bay Area, especially because Silicon Valley and other big businesses in San Francisco and the Bay Area rely very heavily on H-1Bs.” He noted that the travel and extended wait times could be costly and disruptive, potentially stranding employees abroad and creating a backlog of visa appointments. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, California leads the nation with over 61,000 H-1B recipients, including employees at major tech companies like Meta, Apple, and Google.