Education consultancies across India report that U.S. visa interview slots for first-time F-1 applicants have virtually dried up at the New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai posts, forcing many admitted students to contemplate deferred enrollment or costly third-country processing. Hindustan Times surveyed 15 agencies and found average first-available appointments in October—weeks after most universities commence classes. Applicants who try the interview-waiver channel for renewals or previous-visa holders also face courier bottlenecks, with passports often stuck for two to three weeks at the embassy after document submission. The problem is compounded by the per-country cap reached in the EB-5 unreserved immigrant-investor category last month, putting extra load on non-immigrant sections that share staffing. Universities such as Purdue and Arizona State have begun offering late-arrival letters and online orientation to affected Indian admits. Some are redirecting candidates to their campuses in Dubai or Singapore, pending U.S. entry clearance. Travel advisers suggest checking appointment openings at smaller posts such as Kolkata and Hyderabad multiple times a day, as the system releases cancellations randomly. Mobility teams should flag the risk to corporate transferees planning short-notice trips for training or project ramp-ups in the United States through September and explore remote-work alternatives where feasible.
Source: Hindustan Times
