Student Visa Processing Resumes at U.S. Consulates in India

Students have something to be happy about. An announcement has been made mentioning that visa processing is going to resume in multiple embassies and consulates across India. Why did the processing stop in the first place, and how come it is resumed now? And what are the steps you should go through to get your emergency visa student stamp? You’ll find all the information you need here.

Why Did Student Visa Processing Stop in the U.S. Consulates in India?

As we all know, a pandemic outbreak affected the entire world this year. As a result, multiple places had to close for the safety of the population. Embassies and consulates in India are no exception, especially considering the number of COVID-19 cases in India was constantly increasing. In the wake of the virus, the non-immigrant and immigrant visa services had to be stopped.

Not to mention, MIT, Harvard, and multiple other schools mentioned that their classes will take place online in Fall 2020. Still, F1 and M visas do not allow students to attend their classes exclusively online – there has to be either in-person attendance or at least a mixed program of both in-person and online classes. As such, many students were left wondering what to do if their schools don’t offer in-person classes. Do they have to return to their home country?

Up till recently, there was no new announcement regarding the student visa processing, and you could only use emergency appointments. However, guidance was only recently offered telling students what to do in order to obtain the emergency student visa stamp.

What Made the F1 Visa Processing Restart?

One of the things that happened was the fact that the DHS canceled the directive for F1 students from July 6^th after the MIT & Harvard Lawsuit. Therefore, it is time for F1 students to start applying for visa processing.

Another thing that happened is the fact that multiple consulates and embassies in India have started processing again. Therefore, Indian students can now go to consulates in Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to resume their student and academic exchange visitor visas. This applies on a limited basis.

On August 14, a statement was released saying that emergency appointments that were received before the date of August 12 will take priority. Afterward, they will start offering public appointments – which means it will be possible for exchange visitors and students to schedule a public appointment. However, this has to be done no later than three weeks before the classes are supposed to start.

It is important to keep in mind that there are still restrictions in place due to the pandemic, and a lot of backlogged requests, which will affect the processes. There is the possibility of some of the requests not being fulfilled before the start of the semester.

However, they will do their best to deal with the volume of requests. “We will try to handle requests based on when we receive them and when classes will start. We ask for your patience during this time,” the statement says.

How to Get an Emergency Student Visa Stamp Right Now?

If you need to get an emergency student visa stamp, then knowing what steps you will have to go through is crucial. Here is all you need to know:

Book the Visa Appointment

First things first, you will have to book the appointment for your visa. You can do it on any date. If you want to make sure you find empty slots, you should try in the morning. Afterward, make a request for an expedited appointment.

Submit the Emergency Appointment Request Online

Basically, what you have to do next is submit your emergency appointment request online. It can be done on the USTravelDocs site. When you do it, you will have to fill out a form online which requires your tentative travel date, emergency reason, a brief explanation of your emergency, and some files to prove why you need your emergency request, and to support the process.

Provide Proof

There are two documents that you can attach as proof for your emergency request. One of them is the letter of support that you can get from your university. This can be very useful as it will show the officials why you need to obtain your visa immediately. The university can state why they need you to be on campus sooner and request that you receive an emergency visa appointment urgently.

In the Expedited Appointment request, you can say that you have to be on campus for a specific reason, the University you were admitted to and the start date and that you request an expedited appointment for this reason.

Another thing required is the I-20 document.

Submit Your Biometrics

Your biometrics will be required as well, so you will have to go to the Visa Application Center and attend a Biometrics appointment. The letter for your appointment should state the time, date, and address, so make sure you will be there on time.

You will have to sanitize your hands and your temperature will be taken before you enter the building. You will have some pictures taken – this will be the only moment when you can take down your mask. In rest, you have to wear a mask. Keep in mind that you may have to sanitize your hands several times before your fingerprints are scanned.

Attend the F1 Visa Interview

The next thing to do is attending the F1 visa interview with an emergency appointment. You should make it there before the scheduled time.

You will need some documents for your interview, and you can take your I20, DS-160, visa appointment letter, SEVIS Fee receipt, university offer letter, university letter of support, TOFEL and GRE score copies, financial documents, and undergraduate mark sheets.

After that, you will start the interview, but not before you are asked to sanitize your hands and get your fingerprints scanned once again. The visa officer will ask you who will pay for your expenses, and you will have to answer whether it’s you or a relative that does this. You will then be asked for the profession or salary of your family member or yours (if you have a job).

Moreover, you will be asked about how you plan to quarantine in the U.S. If you have a good quarantine plan, you can increase your chances of having your visa approved. Make sure to tell them about the isolation and testing plan of your university in detail, and how you will only go if your tests turn out negative.

Conclusion

You can now attend your visa appointment as student visa processing has resumed at Indian consulates and the Embassy. You need to be prepared for plenty of safety measures when you’re going through the visa process. Make sure you have all the necessary documents ready and that you know how to respond to the questions the officer will ask you.The officer may ask you about your plans to quarantine or what you’re going to do with your degree, as well as your funding plans and why you picked your university program. You should be prepared to formulate proper answers.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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