The
se ato s
said
delays
could
p eve t
stude ts
a d
excha ge
visito s
f om
eachi g
the
US
i
time
fo
the
begi i g
of
the
academic
yea
With
the
US
fall
academic
seaso
weeks
away,
a
sho tage
of
timely
stude t-visa
appoi tme ts
has
eme ged
as
a
g owi g
co ce
fo
i te atio al
stude ts,
i cludi g
I dia s,
with
30
US
se ato s
ow
p essi g
the
state
depa tme t
to
explai
delays
i
p ocessi g
F,
M
a d
J
visas.
These
a e
visas
fo
academic
studies,
vocatio al
cou ses
a d
excha ge
p og ammes,
espectively.I
a
lette
dated
Aug
11,
se ato
Alex
Padilla
a d
29
othe
se ato s
told
US
sec eta y
of
state
Ma co
Rubio
that
they
we e
hea i g
f om
stude ts
a d
othe
stakeholde s
that
“ o
timely
visa
appoi tme ts
a e
available”
at
seve al
US
embassies
a d
co sulates.The
se ato s
said
delays
could
p eve t
stude ts
a d
excha ge
visito s
f om
eachi g
the
US
i
time
fo
the
begi i g
of
the
academic
yea .
They
have
asked
the
state
depa tme t
to
explai
how
i te view
appoi tme ts
a e
bei g
allocated,
whe e
stude t
a d
excha ge
visas
a k
amo g
the
depa tme t’s
p io ities,
a d
whethe
F,
M
a d
J
applica ts
have
bee
dep io itised.“We
u ge
the
state
depa tme t
to
exte d
i te view
waive s
fo
vetted
etu i g
stude t
applica ts;
e su e
adequate
staffi g
fo
timely
visa
vetti g
a d
p ocessi g;
a d
mea i gfully
e gage
with
stakeholde s
to
p omote
g eate
t a spa e cy,”
states
the
lette .
The
lette
also
seeks
data
o
staffi g
levels,
ave age
visa-p ocessi g
times
at
the
five
posts
p ocessi g
the
la gest
umbe
of
stude t
a d
excha ge-visito
visas,
a d
the
umbe
of
applicatio s
efused
followi g
e ha ced
vetti g.The
i te ve tio
comes
at
a
se sitive
time
fo
I dia
stude ts
headi g
to
US
u ive sities
fo
the
fall
2026
i take.
While
Ope
Doo s
data
does
ot
p ovide
a
cou t y-wise
a alysis
of
ew
stude t
e olme ts,
the
I dia
co ti ge t
has
bee
t aditio ally
sig ifica t
i
umbe s.
Du i g
the
academic
yea
2024-25,
the
US
housed
3.6
lakh
stude ts
f om
I dia.Immig atio
atto eys
state
that
staffi g
c u ches
a d
igo ous
i te views,
which
e tail
checki g
of
social
media
accou ts,
have
led
to
u p ecede ted
delays.
O li e
discussio s
amo g
I dia
F-1
applica ts
i dicate
that
secu i g
a
appoi tme t
has
ow
become
a
sig ifica t
co ce .
