Thousands of Indian Students Get US Visa Appointments, Embassy to Add Extra Slots

Thousands of Indian students have secured visa appointments for July and August as of June 15, a day after the US Embassy resumed taking appointments. For students planning to go abroad for further studies who are in need of a visa, the embassy said it will make additional appointments in July. It has ask Indians not to submit an “emergency appointment request” stating that it cannot accommodate such a volume of requests.

“Need an earlier student visa appointment? Do not despair. We will be adding additional July appointments soon. Please do not submit an emergency appointment request. We cannot accommodate the volume of requests,” the US Embassy tweeted. (sic)

The US Embassy had earlier tweeted that since several students are worried about getting their visa on time, appointments will be made available as and when conditions will allow. “We are aware of the high demand for student visa appointments. Please remember, do not refresh too often, as you may be locked out of your account.  Appointments remain available at all posts, and we will continue to add appointments as conditions allow,” the US Embassy said.

Since June 14, thousands of students have secured visa appointments for July & August. Thousands of appointments remain available & we will open thousands more in coming weeks. We appreciate your patience as we diligently work to resolve the technical issues you have encountered.

Don Heflin, the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the US embassy, had also said earlier that the US-bound students will not require any proof of Covid-19 vaccination to enter the country. However, they will need a negative report of their Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to their departure.

This year, more Indian students are keen on studying abroad as compared to last year. According to a report by Leverage Edu – a foreign consultancy platform, about 94 per cent more Indian students are keen to study abroad this year as compared to last year. Most of the students cited better healthcare facilities as one of the key reasons they wish to study abroad.

More students are keen on studying in the US, UK, Canada, Australia. As many as 71 per cent of students believe that foreign countries such as UK, US, and Canada have better access to early vaccinations, healthcare infrastructure and quality of air.

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