Visa Update: US Embassy Announces Opening of Student Visa Interview Slots

The US Embassy in India has announced that visa interview slots for the F, M, and J student visa categories have opened for dates in June and the first half of July 2022.

Because of the Covid pandemic last year, the US Embassy in Delhi and the consulates in India opened student visa interviews much later on June 14, with many students who were planning to attend US universities having already received their student I-20 documents from US universities and waiting for the interviews.

This year, after opening student visa interviews early, US officials plan to issue more student visas than the previous year’s record of 62,000 to students starting at United States colleges in the autumn of 2021.

The US Embassy’s most recent notice on student visas also advised students not to panic if they were unable to schedule a visa appointment in the first tranche.

The announcement made by US Embassy stated;

“If you don’t get an appointment in this tranche, don’t panic. We will be focusing on students for the months of June, July and August and will open slots for the rest of July and the first half of August later.”

Additional June and July appointments may also be made available if resources allow.

To applicants’ satisfaction, the US Embassy has relaxed its previously announced policy of not providing a second chance for visa interviews to student visa applicants who had previously been denied visas.

“If you have a prior refusal, watch for open appointments in the second half of August when you’ll have a second chance at the interview,” the announcement has clarified.