US Embassy Announces First-time applicants will be given more priority for visa interview slots

A few guidelines released by the US embassy for the visa issuance is affecting a certain number of Indian Student. During the first week of April, the news was released stating that all the second and third-time applications for interviews for student visas will not be considered. This news raised a concern, and later the Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs at the US Embassy in Delhi clarified the same.

He released a video on the US Embassies official page of the Consulate General Chennai clarifying that the first-time F1 visa applicants from India will be given more priority over the second or third-time applicants at the time of slot booking process for visa interview. He further added that many students crack the interview in their first attempt. Hence, you must focus on giving your best shot and not wait for another chance.

The policy is looking forward to giving priority to all fresh applicants, who are turning up for the first time for a visa interview to study in a US college. And, the only way to do this is to block the candidates who were refused a student visa before.

By the Mid May, an open visa interview will be conducted and the Embassy is looking forward to issuing visas to more students than the last year.

Last year, due to the Covid Delta variant the procedure started in late June, and application system websites crashed due to massive traffic of Indian applicants. Hence, it has been decided, that students who applied earlier twice, or more and were rejected have a high chance of not getting an interview slot this year.

Lastly, he also added that by September 1, 2022, slots for various categories of visas, for the first-time applicants are going to open.