US consulates to begin student visa processing

The US embassy and consulates in India, including the Hyderabad consulate, will begin processing student and academic exchange visitor visa applications on a limited basis from August 17.

As per the announcement made on the US embassy website, emergency student and exchange visitor appointment requests received prior to August 12 will be processed first and public appointments will be taken up later.

Appointments will be refreshed as per the availability, generally two weeks in advance, said the announcement.

In a tweet, the US Consulate-General, Hyderabad, said, “Student visas are a high priority, and we will make every effort to assist applicants in a timely fashion, while keeping our customers and staff safe.” It added that due to the very limited appointment availability, all requests may not be accommodated in time for the start of the fall semester.

“We will try to handle requests based on when we receive them and when classes will start. We ask for your patience during this time,” it added.

It also requested prospective students and exchange visitors to schedule an appointment no more than three weeks prior to their class start date, and asked the students to continue monitoring the website https://in.usembassy.go v/visas/ for availability The embassy and consulates would continue to remain closed for routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services, the announcement said. “We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date.”