US Consulate in Hyderabad extends student visa season by two weeks after 10,000 F-1 visa slots disappear in 5 minutes

The US Consulate in Hyderabad has announced the extension of student visa season by two weeks, to make sure students have enough time to get their visas processed. The US Consulate-General in Hyderabad addressed the issue on 'X', announcing an extension of the student visa season by two weeks. "Student visa interviews will now go on till the end of August," the consulate stated. Although the consulate indicated plans to add more slots, specific numbers were not disclosed.


The announcement came in response to difficulties securing US visa appointments, after students from Hyderabad launched an online petition on Tuesday, calling on the consulate to open additional visa slots. Many students reported unsuccessful attempts to book slots for over six months.


Students claimed that 10,000 F-1 visa slots released just after midnight on Sunday were filled within five minutes, leaving many stuck in the portal's waiting room. These students, concerned about the approaching fall session starting in September, remain anxious about their university admissions.

Currently, Hyderabad has the longest wait period for US visa appointments, standing at 299 days. Other major cities have shorter wait times: Chennai (14 days), Delhi (51 days), Kolkata (19 days), and Mumbai (144 days).

According to a TOI report, the petition was initiated by Darsh Golecha, accepted by Harvard for a master's in education, learning, design, innovation, and technology, with his course starting in August. Golecha shared his frustration: "I have been trying since November 2023, but have not managed to book a slot even once. Whenever I try, it shows different things, like limits reached, portal error, site crashed, etc. My course starts in August and still I have not received any clarity from the consulate."

Other students echoed similar concerns. H S Kumar, admitted to a university in California, said, "Their call center representatives either say they will escalate the issue or ask us to refill the form, which requires paying the fee again. My college is starting mid-August and I am still waiting for a slot."

A Rajeshwari, set to pursue a master's in computer science and AI in Texas, recounted her ordeal: "After paying Rs 15,540 to book the slot, my receipt was 'locked' by the portal. When I contacted customer service, they asked me to email 'support India' to 'unlock' it. Once it was unlocked, it got locked again during scheduling. This cycle of locking and unlocking happened four-five times for three months until one day it said 'Limit reached' and that I cannot schedule without paying again."

The United States Embassy released the first tranche of student visa appointments in India for the September 2024 intake earlier this month.