Students scramble across country in search of ideal visa appointment dates

Embassies cite spike in applications; delay in announcing board results also affects foreign study plans

Delhi-based Avani recently had to travel to Kolkata for biometric and visa interviews for her US travel to avoid missing the Fall semester joining dates at Georgetown University.

“I could get biometrics and visa interview appointment dates for the end of July, which was not feasible for me. Due to under-staffed consular offices and the rush, especially among students flying overseas for further education, we were not getting the biometrics and visa interview appointment dates at our desired centres. Some of my friends had to travel to even Chennai for the same,” she told Business Standard.

Not just the inability to get the desired dates and centres for visa appointments, even applying to the desired education destinations has become a challenge for Indian students this year.

Also Read: US okays a record 55,000 student, exchange visas in 2021 from India so far

From the spike in visa applications amid pandemic-induced under-staffing at consulates, to a delay in the declaration of board exam results, multiple factors have led to this situation.

For instance, Delhi-based Praniti Gulyani was torn between University of St Andrews in Scotland and UC Berkeley in the US. But a delay in the declaration of CBSE results, which are yet to be announced, helped her to go ahead with UC Berkeley.
 

“Universities in the UK, Canada, and other non-US destinations extend what is known as a conditional offer where they ask us to score a minimum percentage that varies from campus to campus and we need to provide the same before receiving any confirmation from them. This year, with board results yet to be announced, there was a lot of uncertainty on whether I will meet the score threshold for the University of St Andrews,” said Gulyani.

Generally, appointments are expedited at the US consular sections for cases involving a genuine emergency. So students should plan to schedule their interview as soon as they receive their I-20. One such lucky student is Vansh Jain, who became eligible for drop box renewal.

“When I was applying, Delhi had a waiting period of three months, I would have had to travel to Kolkata or Chennai if I had to make it in time for my classes, starting from mid-August 2022,” said Jain.

Foreign education consultants like Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founder and director of Collegify, the timeline for Indian students has been disrupted ahead of the Fall semester intake season.

“While the details for the visa are very specific, the delay in the board results has had an impact on foreign admissions,” Khandelwal said, adding that countries issue specific documents for issuing visas for prospective students.

“For instance, the US Universities issue an I-20, while the universities in the UK issue a CAS letter. While it has been smooth sailing for students going to the US, owing to the unconditional nature of the admits, others are facing a tough time,” said Khandelwal.

Seeing the rush and the possibility of missing out on many students from India, some universities in the UK – like the London School of Economics and King’s College, London – have started issuing unconditional offers. However, other universities are yet to do this.

As a result, consultants like Khandelwal are advising students to get in touch with the universities that they have been accepted into.

On their part, consulates are prioritising student visas ahead of others. However, the unprecedented spike in applications has come as a surprise.

Visa application spike

For instance, in the summer of 2021, the US Mission India adjudicated more than 70,000 student visa applications. From October 2021 to mid-January 2022, over 41,000 additional student visas were adjudicated, a 55 per cent increase compared to 2020 and a 75 per cent increase over 2019, said Nick Novak, spokesperson at the US Consulate General, Mumbai.

“More broadly, consular sections in India processed over 162,000 total visa applications in the first three months of 2022 and are focusing on student visa appointments for the months of June, July, and August. We also recently opened B1/B2 appointments for September 2022 through November 2024, along with a number of other visa categories. This is the last visa class to reopen and is a big step in the path to recovery,” Novak said.

However, Novak added that while 2022 is a year of recovery, full recovery will “take some time”.

“Long wait times will remain a reality for the foreseeable future, especially during peak periods in the summer, which see competing high demand from students, H/L applicants, and summer B1/B2 travellers. However, applicants can expect to see visa processing and wait times continue to improve throughout 2023.”

A British High Commission spokesperson too told Business Standard that it was currently experiencing “unpredictable demand” across all visa routes globally, with standard visit visas currently taking an average of seven weeks to process globally, while some applications may take longer.

“The number of Indian applicants applying for UK study visas is already high. However, the student visa applications are being processed within the service standard of three weeks,” the spokesperson said.  “We recommend students continue to apply for visas as soon as possible to avoid any delays. We are unable to give customers a specific timeframe relating to their individual application. Therefore, applicants should refer to the visa decision waiting time page and bear in mind increased processing times when booking travel.”

Pointers:

-This year, more than 200,000 Indian students studying in U.S.

-Indians represent more than 20% of international students in the US

-From October 2021 to mid-January 2022, over 41,000 additional student visas were adjudicated by the US

-No of student visas between October 2021 and mid-January 2022 up by 55% compared to 2020

-Student visa process for the UK taking average service standard of 3 weeks