Effective September 2, the United States Department of State is introducing significant changes to the application procedures for B1/B2 tourist visas, which directly affect Bulgarian citizens. The new requirements revoke the previous relaxations introduced just a few months ago, making the process stricter for a large number of applicants.
According to the updated rules, which take effect on the specified date, a significantly wider range of people will have to appear in person for an interview at the US Embassy. This change is particularly important as it affects groups that were previously exempt from this requirement—namely, individuals under 14 and over 79 years of age. This means that even young children and elderly people traveling to the US will now be required to have a personal meeting with a consular officer, which undoubtedly complicates the process for their families.
Only those applicants whose previous B1/B2 visa expired within the last 12 months will be exempt from the in-person appearance requirement. This group of people retains the option to submit the necessary documents by mail.
The US Embassy in Bulgaria has published information about the changes on its Facebook page. Despite the new rules, the diplomatic mission emphasizes that it reserves the right to exercise its own judgment. The announcement states that even if an applicant meets all the conditions for an interview waiver, a consular officer may, at their discretion, require a personal appearance.
This further underscores the strictness of the new policy and leaves the final decision in the hands of the diplomatic authorities.
The new measure revokes a previous update that was introduced on February 18, 2025, which provided greater leniency for certain groups of applicants. This sudden policy change can be seen as an indicator of a tightening of immigration control and control over travelers to the US. It comes against the backdrop of information that the number of US visa refusals in 2024 was the lowest in the last 18 years, according to data from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.