The US embassy in India on its website announced that it has decided to start taking appointments for students seeking visas on June 14.
“Student visas remain a top priority for the U.S. Mission to India and we are making every attempt to facilitate student travel in time for the fall semester. As such, on June 14, 2021 we will open limited July and August student visa appointments at posts across India. Students may visit our website, https://ustraveldocs.com/in, to view availability and schedule an appointment.” the statement said.
On April 30, US President Joe Biden signed a Presidential Proclamation 10199 suspending most nonimmigrant travel from India. For more information on which travelers are subject to the Proclamation, please visit its newsroom website.
The US Embassy further added, “Prior to your visa interview, please review your I-20 program start date. Students beginning a new program with a program start date on or after August 1 may travel to the United States up to 30 days prior to the program start date and do not need to submit a request for a national interest exception. Continuing students may also resume their programs on or after August 1, and travel 30 days before their program resumption date. We are unable to approve expedite requests for Fall 2021 students with scheduled appointments in July or August. If your appointment date may result in a potentially late start, please reach out to your school to discuss options.”
The Embassy also announced that for most of the other routine nonimmigrant visa appointments at the US Embassy in New Delhi and its Consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai remain extremely limited in light of the travel suspension and due to the current pandemic situation in India. We continue to make every effort to accommodate emergency visa appointments and will honor upcoming scheduled regular appointments in limited visa categories. If you scheduled an upcoming appointment, please check your USTravelDocs account to determine whether your appointment is still valid. We are unable to speculate on or respond to inquiries regarding future cancellations or appointment availability.”, the statement said.
For people who believe that they are subject to the Proclamation announced by the US President, can read FAQs page on US travel state website for more information to apply for a national interest exception.
According to the announcement on website, “You can find additional updates on our operational status at our website https://ustraveldocs.com/in/. If you have additional questions or need assistance on an issue affecting a U.S. citizen, call 1-888-407-4747 from the United States or 1-202-501-4444 from India.”
For more information, you can also visit the US Embassy website in India https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/
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