After working for four years in the information technology (IT) industry, Thane-based Priyansh Saxena* decided to pursue a master’s in information systems at Cleveland State University, US.
While he got admission for the spring or January 2024 intake, he received the I-20 a little later. Adding more trouble was the unavailability of F1 visa appointment dates.
Form I-20 is a mandatory certificate of eligibility for non-immigrant student status.
“I had to defer my application to the summer (May) 2024 intake. Since there were no visa dates available again, I decided to defer my admission to the Fall (August) 2024 intake. The first date for visa appointment available was on May 11 but the site crashed and rarely any student was able to get that particular date for the visa,”
Finally, he was able to secure the biometric and visa appointments for May 18 and 20, respectively. “The adverse impact of this was I had already resigned from my job in January and I had to wait for five months, just to get a visa appointment date,” Saxena said.
In recent years, the demand for student visas or F visas in India has consistently outstripped available slots. In 2023, the US Embassy and consulates in India processed a record 1.4 million visas, including over 1,40,000 F1 student visas.
This surge in demand has led to frustration among students attempting to secure visa appointments despite decreasing wait times from an average of 1,000 days to 250 days nationwide in 2023.
Currently, the process remains unpredictable for students. Brief and intermittent openings in the slot booking system, sometimes lasting just 15 minutes, create urgency and uncertainty. Students face difficulty planning, as they must frequently check the website or endure lengthy waits, only to discover that the slots have already been filled.
The struggle is more for those who have travelled to other cities for visa appointments. For instance, Ahmedabad-based Dipita Pathak* visited Mumbai two times for biometrics and consulate appointments in 10 days.
“After five months, I got a slot of May 11 for consulate appointments and May 1 for biometrics …..After I was rejected, I started again to book my visa slot appointment for the fall intake but I still have not gotten it. Checking slots every night and hoping to get slots is so frustrating. Sometimes websites are not working properly, servers are getting down,” she said.
The issue
Study abroad consultants and experts told Moneycontrol that the shortage of staff at the embassy to handle the increasing number of visa applications has become a significant issue.
As the top destination for international students seeking higher education abroad, the US attracts a large number of applicants from around the world, including a substantial number from India. The current staffing levels at the embassy is insufficient to meet the demands of this growing market.
“There is a shortage of staff in the embassy to cater to the number of visa slots being booked….students are required to wait until the embassy opens visa slots. However, slots have started to open in bulk and this should resolve the backlog in due course,” said Shilpi Mishra, North America Head of India at Oxford International Education Group.
She said 80 percent of bookings are now done, with 20 percent remaining.
“Slots will reopen by June 15, 2024, to facilitate these remaining students and cater to students looking to make visa applications for the Fall of 2024,” Mishra added.
However, Saurabh Arora, CEO and founder of University Living, an online global student accommodation marketplace, said political factors like , including geopolitical tensions and election cycles, also play a crucial role in the availability of visa slots.
“These factors can reduce the number of slots being offered and at a slower pace,” he said.