What Changed in the US Visa Process in 2026: New Rules, Timelines and What to Expect

The US visa application process has undergone significant changes over the past two years. For anyone planning to apply or renew their visa in 2026, understanding the current landscape is essential to avoid surprises and prepare properly.

The no-interview renewal — known as Dropbox or Interview Waiver — remains the fastest way to renew a US visa in Brazil. In 2026, the program was expanded: applicants whose visa expired less than 48 months ago (previously 24) may now qualify to renew without an in-person interview.

In practice, this means that if your B1/B2 visa expired after March 2022, you could be eligible. The process involves dropping off documents at a CASV (Visa Application Service Center) and waiting for a decision without appearing at the consulate. Average processing time has been 3 to 6 weeks.

However, there's a catch that trips up many applicants: even if you meet all the requirements, the consulate can call you in for an interview at any time. This happens especially when there have been changes in marital status, employment, or address since the last visa.

The DS-160 form, which every nonimmigrant visa applicant must complete, received updates in 2025 that remain in effect. Key changes include more detailed questions about travel history (now covering the last 10 years instead of 5), and additional fields about social media accounts — which were previously optional but are now mandatory for most visa categories.

Another point worth noting: the DS-160 now expires 60 days after you begin filling it out, up from 30 days previously. This sounds like an improvement, but the form has gotten longer, so the extra time is welcome. The consulates themselves recommend not leaving it to the last minute.

Demand for US visas in Brazil has reached record levels. According to US State Department data, Brazil is consistently among the top five countries worldwide in B1/B2 visa application volume.

The practical result is that wait times vary enormously across Brazil's five consulates. São Paulo, the busiest, has queues that can exceed 10 months for first-time applicants. Meanwhile, Recife and Brasília typically offer shorter timelines — in the 3-to-6-month range — simply because they receive lower volume.

An interesting data point: the difference between consulates can be as much as 8 months. This has led many Brazilians to schedule interviews in cities far from their residence, absorbing travel costs in exchange for an earlier date. For those with flexibility, this is a legitimate and increasingly common strategy.

The B1/B2 visa fee was adjusted to US$185 in 2023 and remains at that level in 2026. There is no official forecast of another increase, but the State Department has revised fees twice in the last five years, so it's wise not to postpone indefinitely if you're planning to apply.

Remember that the fee is non-refundable, even in case of denial. And the payment receipt (MRV) is valid for 12 months — meaning if you pay now but can only schedule an interview 11 months out, you'll still be within the deadline.

For those facing the in-person interview, the process itself hasn't changed dramatically. You still attend the CASV for biometric collection (usually the day before) and then go to the consulate for the actual interview.

What has changed is the pace: consulates have been operating with expanded staff since 2024, which has sped up processing. The average interview time remains short — between 2 and 5 minutes — but wait time at the location can vary from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on the day and consulate.

A trend noted by immigration attorneys is that questions are increasingly focused on economic ties to Brazil. In times of a strong dollar, consular officers want to clearly understand why the applicant would return to the country.

If you're starting the process now, the main recommendation is: don't underestimate the timelines. Between filling out the DS-160, paying the fee, scheduling the CASV and interview, and waiting for your passport back, the complete process can take 2 to 14 months depending on the consulate chosen and time of year.

For those who already have an interview scheduled but with a distant date, monitoring tools like Skip Visa Queue track the scheduling system and take advantage of other applicants' cancellations to automatically move your date up.

The 2026 landscape is challenging but predictable. With planning and up-to-date information, the process doesn't have to be a headache.