NEW DELHI: Uncle Sam has finally resumed students visa process in India, just before the fall college admission season for this year. “Posts across mission India have resumed scheduling F, M, and J (student and exchange) nonimmigrant visa applications. Applicants should check the embassy or consulate websites for appointment availability,” an embassy spokesperson said Tuesday. Previous years when there was no pause used to see huge scramble for getting a student visa interview slot. This time with the process suspended for well over a month starting May end, the situation could get even tight.
Vaibhav Gupta, co-founder and COO of leading study abroad consulting firm iSchoolConnect, said: “This is a very encouraging move by US Mission in India. Our visa team has witnessed limited appointment slots now open for aspirants book for visa appointments. We are optimistic that more slots will be opened in the coming weeks for students were aspiring to go to the US. My estimates suggest over a lakh students are awaiting to book visa slots for the upcoming for all 2025 intake.”
“This will also impact the sentiment of Indian aspirants planning to go to the US in coming years. Previously the sentiment was at an all-time low, but now morale of the students and parents will be boosted,” Gupta added.
India has been the top source country for international students in the US. At nearly 4.2 lakh last year, Indian students in the US was 11.8% higher than in 2023.
The Trump administration had in May end had paused scheduling new appointments for student visa applications over the issue of social media screening. “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law,” the embassy said on X June 23.
Three days later, this policy was expanded when the embassy said: “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
The same day, June 26, the US state department warned: “US visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all US laws and immigration rules. And we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t.”
Vaibhav Gupta, co-founder and COO of leading study abroad consulting firm iSchoolConnect, said: “This is a very encouraging move by US Mission in India. Our visa team has witnessed limited appointment slots now open for aspirants book for visa appointments. We are optimistic that more slots will be opened in the coming weeks for students were aspiring to go to the US. My estimates suggest over a lakh students are awaiting to book visa slots for the upcoming for all 2025 intake.”
“This will also impact the sentiment of Indian aspirants planning to go to the US in coming years. Previously the sentiment was at an all-time low, but now morale of the students and parents will be boosted,” Gupta added.
India has been the top source country for international students in the US. At nearly 4.2 lakh last year, Indian students in the US was 11.8% higher than in 2023.
The Trump administration had in May end had paused scheduling new appointments for student visa applications over the issue of social media screening. “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law,” the embassy said on X June 23.
Three days later, this policy was expanded when the embassy said: “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
The same day, June 26, the US state department warned: “US visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all US laws and immigration rules. And we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t.”
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