US student visa applicants are in a state of uncertainty because the appointment wait time at the Hyderabad Consulate General has risen to nearly a year.
Though appointment wait times for other types of US visas are decreasing significantly, student visa wait times have increased from 37 days in November 2022 to 331 days now.
Even for the visa type ‘Interview Waiver Students/Exchange Visitors,’ the wait time has increased from one to 64 days.
There are three intakes in US universities: Fall (September intake), Winter (January intake), and Spring (May intake).
As students who were admitted to US universities for the Winter and Spring intakes seek appointments for student visas at the Hyderabad Consulate, the wait times have gone up.
Wait times have increased at other US consulates as well. It is 104 days in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
Measures taken to shorten wait times
Authorities have made more applicants eligible for interview waivers in order to reduce US student visa appointment wait times. Aside from that, dropbox cases are sent overseas for adjudication.
In response to growing concern about the backlog of visa applications from countries such as India, State Department spokesperson Ned Price recently told reporters that he understands the frustrations of those who must wait a long time.
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“Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels,” Price said.
“I can tell you that it is a priority of the Secretary and of the Department to do everything we can to reduce that backlog and ultimately to reduce the wait times,” he said.
Students forced to consider alternative options
Some students who were waiting for US visas have decided to relocate to other countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and others.
Students’ decisions are influenced by both pull and push factors. The push factor is long wait times for US visa appointments.
Some of the pull factors include short processing times for UK student visas, no work-hour restrictions in Australia, and so on.
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