WASHINGTON: The new U.S. visa system, effective from Aug. 1, will require far more applicants to appear for personal interviews before a consular officer for a nonimmigrant visa.

Under the new regulations, waivers of the personal interview may be considered for the following categories of applicants: Those under 16 or over 60 years of age, employees or officials of foreign governments, people who have previously applied for a visa and have not violated their nonimmigrant status, and people for whom national interests warrant consideration of a waiver.

Bureau of Consular Affairs’s Stephen A. Edson said here on July 30 that the new procedures were aimed at increasing the security of the U.S. and creating greater uniformity in the processing of visas at U.S. consulates worldwide.

“Since Sept. 11, 2001, we’ve engaged in a review of the visa process as it relates to the security of our nation,” Edson said. “In this process, we have greatly increased the rate of personal interviews. As a result, many of our posts overseas and our consular offices are already handling an interview workload quite similar to what will be required under the new regulation.”