"We are pleased to announce that consular officers are now temporarily authorized, through December 31, 2022, to waive in-person interviews for certain individual petition-based nonimmigrant work visas in the following categories: Persons in Specialty Occupations (H-1B visas), Trainee or Special Education Visitors (H-3 visas), Intracompany Transferees (L visas), Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement (O visas)," the press release said on Thursday.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has also extended the consular officers’ current ability to waive the in-person interview for the same period for Temporary Agricultural and Non-agricultural Workers (H-2 visas), Students (F and M visas) and Student Exchange Visitors (Academic J visas), the release said.