As of August 17, US consulates located in cities across India, including Hyderabad and the embassy in New Delhi, have started processing limited student visas.
In addition to the US embassy located in New Delhi, the consulates in the following cities are currently processing applications on a limited basis:
- Mumbai
- Hyderabad
- Kolkata
- Chennai
How Processing Works for Student Visas
Once processing is completed for emergency student visas and exchange visitor appointment requests that were received before August 12, 2020, the embassy will offer public appointments. Exchange visitors and prospective students who want to undergo processing in time before classes take place should schedule appointments at least three weeks before the class start date.
Unfortunately, while the US consulates place student visas as a high priority and work to ensure swift processing for visa applicants, not all requests will be fulfilled in time for the beginning of the fall semester. Although the consulates are working hard to process these applications before classes start, there are many requests and certain protocols in place to maintain safety for customers and staff.
The Temporary Suspension of Routine Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visa Services
On March 20, all embassies and consulates temporarily canceled all routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services. The temporary suspension is still in place at this time, but these locations will continue providing mission-critical and emergency visa services when permissible. At this time, limited student visas are among those services that the embassies and consulates are processing as more services begin to reopen.
People can learn more about the current status of immigrant and non-immigrant visa services all over the world, including all restrictions in place because of COVID-19, by visiting the US Department of State website.
At this time, it’s still unknown when normal operations will resume for other visa services. While immigration lawyers may not see a return to normalcy for months, particularly without a vaccine in place, the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs will be releasing updates as they come. According to the department, “the resumption of routine visa services will occur on a post-by-post basis, in coordination with the Department’s Diplomacy Strong framework for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities.”
In the meantime, many prospective students will be able to undergo processing as the new school season begins.
