Even before the new American visa rules take effect, thousands of Indians admitted to U.S. universities this autumn are struggling to obtain a consular interview slot, according to education consultants and parents interviewed by Hindustan Times. Applicants who submitted DS-160 forms after April say the first available appointments are showing up in September or October—well past orientation week. The bottleneck is particularly acute at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, which handled more than 140,000 F-type interviews last peak season. Pandemic-era staffing gaps, a surge in demand fuelled by India’s demographic bulge, and the introduction of social-media background checks for younger applicants have jointly lengthened screening time. Consultants report that some elite universities are now offering deferrals to January for Indian admits, while others suggest transferring to partner campuses in Canada or Singapore. Families who have paid hefty tuition deposits face losing both the seat and the money if visas do not arrive in time. Industry groups such as the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce warn that prolonged uncertainty could push talent towards rival destinations that offer predictable, fully digital processes—citing Australia’s two-week ‘Genuine Student’ pilot and the U.K.’s e-Visa roll-out this month. U.S. consular officials told stakeholders in a closed briefing that an additional 15,000 student-visa slots will be released “in phases” through the end of July and urged applicants to monitor the CGI portal daily for cancellations.
Source: Hindustan Times
