Washington: Australians have been caught up in a sudden and chaotic change to US visa rules by the Trump administration that saw several people turned away from scheduled appointments before a change of heart.

The State Department issued a directive over the weekend stating all applicants for non-immigrant visas to the US should schedule their interview appointments at the embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence.

The Trump administration has pursued stricter rules about who can come into the US and procedures around visa applications. Credit: Getty Images

For Australians in the US on a visa, such as the popular E3 work visa only available to Australians, it is common to travel to a nearby US embassy or consulate in Canada, the Bahamas or the United Kingd

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