Good News For Indians As US Extends F-1 Student Visa Season By Two Weeks
After days of despair and agonizing wait for thousands of Indian students preparing for higher studies in the United States, the authorities have extended the visa season by two weeks. According to the US Consulate in Hyderabad, student visa interviews will continue until the end of August 2024 for the upcoming academic session.
10,000 visa slots gone in 5 minutes?
This development came after many students, including those who had been admitted to US universities, could not secure an F-1 visa interview slot. The US Consulate?had?opened the F-1 visa interview process on May 20, but according to many students, the available 10,000 F-1 slots were booked within five minutes.
Also read:?UK Graduate Route Visa Policy: How Indians Are Set To Be Impacted
Couldn't get visa slot in six months?
Many students had to wait for long hours in the waiting room of the US consulate in Hyderabad, hoping for an update and fearing potential delays in their educational pursuits. Following this, some launched an online petition seeking additional visa slots for prospective students, including those who had been trying unsuccessfully for six months.
"I have been trying since November 2023, but have not managed to book a slot even once. Whenever I try to book, it shows different messages like 'limits reached,' 'portal error,' 'site crashed,' etc. My course starts in August and I still have not received any clarity from the consulate," Darsh Golecha, who has been accepted by Harvard for a master's in education, learning, design, innovation, and technology, told The Times of India.
Also read:?New Change In US Student Visa Rules For Indian Students
What is F-1 student visa
The F-1 Student Visa, also known as the Academic Student Visa, allows individuals to enter the United States as full-time students at accredited colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, academic high schools, elementary schools, or other academic institutions, including language training programs.?
In 2023, Indian students were issued a total of 130,839 F-1 student visas, the highest number for any country.
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