US Embassy in India implements new changes in student visa process

From November 27, Indian students applying for a US visa will be required to use their own passport information when creating a profile and scheduling their visa appointment. On November 24, the US Embassy in India announced the latest policy changes in the appointment system to "prevent fraud and abuse."

If you are applying under the F, M, and J student visa programme, here are the latest updates you should know:

“All F, M, and J student visa applicants must use their own passport information when creating a profile and scheduling their visa appointment. Applicants who have created a profile or booked an appointment using an incorrect passport number will not be accepted at the Visa Application Centers (VAC). Their appointments will be cancelled and the visa fee will be lost,” said the US Embassy in India in a post on X (formally Twitter). 

“An applicant who has recently renewed their passport, or obtained a new passport after the old passport was lost or stolen, may bring a photocopy or other evidence of the old passport number and they will be allowed to proceed with their appointment,” said the Embassy. 

F, M, and J student visas are different categories of nonimmigrant visas issued by the United States for individuals pursuing various educational and exchange programs. The F visa is for individuals seeking to attend a US college, university, high school, private elementary school, seminary, conservatory, or language training program. There are two subcategories: F-1 visas for academic students and F-2 visas for dependents of F-1 visa holders.

The M visa is designed for students enrolling in vocational or other recognised nonacademic institutions, other than a language training program. M-1 visas are for vocational students, and M-2 visas are for their dependents.

The J visa is for individuals participating in exchange visitor programs in the US. These programs can include research scholars, professors, students, trainees, interns, au pairs, and participants in various cultural exchange programs. J-1 visas are issued to the primary participants, and J-2 visas are for their dependents.

According to the Open Doors Report (ODR) released earlier this month, the number of international students from India to the United States increased by 35 per cent and resulted in an all-time high of 268,923 students in the academic year 2022-23. Indian students constitute more than 25 per cent of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States. This is amid concerns about the long waiting period for visa appointments faced by Indian applicants. 

Notably, the US Ambassador Eric Garcetti to India recently revealed that the US is adding more staff and opening new consulates to reduce the waiting time for visa issuance from India. 

"I had a look at the new premises for establishing a consulate in Ahmedabad yesterday. Some more people have already joined the Hyderabad consulate as we are increasing the staff strength in the city and premises are being taken up in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad for setting up new consulates,” said Garcetti in an interactive session organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).