With college sessions set to begin in a matter of weeks, thousands of Indian students hoping to study abroad remain stuck in uncertainty as visa appointment slots continue to remain unavailable, despite the official pause being lifted weeks ago.
One student, whose college begins on August 20, described the stress and confusion of the situation, “I haven’t been able to book my F1 visa appointment yet. I haven’t booked my flight or done any shopping, nothing is sorted out. My last date to drop documents is in the first week of August, and I’m feeling lost.”
The lack of appointment availability is causing deep concern, especially for students with looming deadlines and non-refundable university payments. “It’s so disheartening because the authorities know how crucial this time is for students, and how deeply this uncertainty affects us mentally,” the student said. “It’s painful that despite knowing this, the situation remains unresolved.” Students and parents have taken to social media and forums, requesting authorities to speed up the process. With time running out, many are hoping for a quick intervention before opportunities slip away.
‘Seems like it’s the same for most countries’
The internet quickly reacted to the post. A user said, “Seems like it’s the same for most countries. Other places only appointments are coming in September November and they are denying expedite.” Another noted, “Denying expedites after putting an arbitrary pause in the middle of high season is diabolical. Of course there’s going to be tons of expedite requests. So many people have gotten pushed back. ” Another claimed, “I’m really sorry. It is frustrating that there is no communication from anyone at all. ” “Nigeria opened later dates today but, hopefully earlier dates pop up and we can reschedule,” added a user. “Most are open except India,” noted a user.