OREANDA-NEWS. The US State Department has allowed its consular officers not to conduct face-to-face interviews with applicants for certain types of work nonimmigrant visas. The measure will be valid until December 31, 2022. This is stated in a statement on the website of the foreign ministry.

Reportedly, we are talking about visas, which are issued at the request of potential employers located in the United States and interested in the arrival of qualified employees in the country. The new rules will also affect visas intended for employees of foreign missions of American companies, prominent cultural and sports workers, and participants in a number of international programs.

The statement emphasizes that holders of temporary work visas are having a positive impact on the United States economy. The State Department also notes that it "seeks to facilitate travel for non-immigrants and reduce visa waiting times."

Earlier, the Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said that the United States was delaying the extension of visas or entry permits for about 100 employees of the Russian embassy. He pointed out that about 40 more diplomatic workers are awaiting entry permits in Moscow, with many of them on the waiting list for more than a year.

Prior to that, it was reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry had invited additional American diplomats to Moscow to normalize the work of the US Embassy.

It also became known that the US State Department included Russian citizens wishing to obtain an American visa to the list of Homeless Nationalities, which literally translates as “Homeless nationalities”. Such a measure applies to countries where there is no United States consulate or an unstable political situation prevents diplomatic staff from considering visa applications.