US-bound students anxious as visa slots unavailable

Time of India

2 days ago

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HYDERABAD: With university deadlines fast approaching, thousands of US-bound students are staring at a blank screen—literally.
Despite recent announcements from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that visa slots would open soon, no new appointments have been released yet, leaving students across Hyderabad anxious and desperate.
'I check the portal at least 20 times a day, hoping something shows up,' said a 23-year-old who secured admission to a master's programme in California.
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'All my documents are ready, my fees are paid, but now I might miss my intake simply because I can't get an interview.'
Consultants across the city confirmed the bottleneck. Ankit Jain from One Windows Overseas Consultancy said, 'We were expecting slots by the end of June.
Now we're in July and there's complete silence. Many are continuing to withdraw their applications or deferring admissions.'
In the absence of official updates, many students are clinging to whatever tips they can find, often relying on peer networks and online communities. 'We were advised to keep our social media accounts public, but there is little clarity on what to do next,' said another applicant, who is headed to a university in New Jersey.
'It feels absurd, but we're desperate.'
What's compounding the stress is a sharp increase in visa rejections, even among those who managed to get slots earlier this year.
'We've never seen rejection rates like this. Strong academic profiles, full scholarships, none of it is guaranteeing approval. It's extremely worrying,' said Rajni Mankotia from Way 2 Abroad Consultancy.
She added the situation may be a mix of increased scrutiny, high application volume, and shifting immigration policies, but the lack of transparency is what's proving most damaging.
'The US has always been a top destination for Indian students, but this year's experience is shaking that trust. There needs to be clearer communication from the embassy so students aren't left hanging. If they will secure slots in the next days, they will miss out on the fall intake,' said Arvind Manduva from I20 Fever.
'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications,' said a spokesperson from US Consulate General Hyderabad.
They further said, 'Consular sections constantly adjust their schedules to allow for sufficient time to fully vet the cases to ensure our visa operations around the world meet the highest standards.'