Students refused US visa the first time unlikely to get second interview slot this year

NEW DELHI: Minister-counselor for consular affairs at the US embassy in Delhi, Donald L Heflin, made some important announcements regarding different categories of non-immigrant visas during a live chat on Facebook.

During the 30-minute live chat on the page of the US consulate general in Chennai, Heflin reiterated that for applicants of F-1 student visas from India, the best chance to get their visa approved this year is the first interview with chances of being refused a second or third interview slot really high.

Times of India had first reported about this significant policy change regarding US student visas on April 6.



“I had stirred up a little controversy in the Times of India a couple of weeks ago on this. What is really going on with this policy change is that we would rather give all the fresh applicants, who are turning up for the first time for a visa interview to study in a US college, a chance. The best way to do that is to block out the people refused a student visa before,” he explained.

Last summer, the US embassy and consulates in India started student visa interviews very late (June 14) because of the Covid-Delta wave, with many students ready to travel having already received their I-20 documents from US universities and waiting for the interviews.

“We had a high issuance rate last year and a few got a chance for two interviews. This year, we will open student visa interviews earlier in mid-May and hope to issue even more student visas than the 62,000 issued last year, which was more than ever before,” Heflin explained.

The group of students who have been refused visas two, three or more times -- or were turned down in Spring this year and were planning to apply again in Summer -- are unlikely to get interview slots again this year.

“I am going to use cricket term. A lot of you guys are worried about getting bowled out before you even step on the crease. But a vast majority of students hit a six in the first interview which is your best chance of getting your visa. Don’t worry about whether you get a second chance or not,” Heflin said.

He also announced the opening up of visa interview and drop box (categories that are exempt from interviews) slots across India for H and L visa categories. B-1 and B-2 visitor visa interview slots, for first time applicants, are going to be opened on September 1 this year, he said. The US embassy expects to issue 80,000 visas in India over the next year across categories and by middle of 2023 the volume of visas issued is likely to bounce back 100% to pre-Covid times, Heflin added.