Immigration News & Announcements
Visa Appointment Services Have Resumed for International Students
What You Need to Know
We are excited to share that U.S. visa appointment services for international students have officially resumed. If you are planning to begin or continue your studies in the United States, this is the time to schedule your visa interview.
Visa appointment slots are expected to fill up quickly due to high demand. We encourage all students to check the website of their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for updated appointment availability and application procedures.
If you have not done so, please complete and submit the DS-160 as soon as possible. Submitting your DS-160 has become crucial, so please fill it out and submit it before scheduling your visa interview.
Make sure you have all necessary documents prepared in advance, including:
- A valid passport
- Your I-20 (for F-1 students) or DS-2019 (for J-1 students)
- SEVIS fee payment receipt
- Financial documents
- Other supporting materials required by your local embassy or consulate
Students who are outside of the U.S. without a valid visa may experience delays in visa processing times. If you are a current student and need to renew your visa or if you are a new student applying for your first visa, please note that you may be delayed in your arrival to the U.S. It is important to stay in touch with us to keep us updated on your visa process and arrival plans.
If you are a current or incoming student or scholar from one of the nineteen countries that were included in the total or partial travel ban based on the June 4th presidential proclamation, and you do not have a valid visa, then there is a good chance that you will not be able to obtain a visa, despite the resumption of visa interview scheduling. Please feel free to contact us if you find yourself in this situation. If you are outside of the U.S. but you do have a valid visa, you are allowed to enter the United States.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will update with any new information. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.
As part of the updated visa application process, the U.S. Department of State (DoS) now requires applicants to disclose social media identifiers from the past five years. This applies to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others.
The policy was introduced under the Presidential Proclamation 9645 and further implemented by the U.S. Department of State to enhance security screening.
What does this mean for you?
You can read more about these requirements directly on the U.S. Department of State website.
To help expedite the visa process outlined in the DoS statement, consider adjusting the privacy settings on all your social media profiles to “public.”
You should evaluate your risk regarding your social media presence and digital footprint to determine what, if any, action you should take before applying for a visa.
If you are seriously concerned about your social media or internet presence, and whether there are any risks in making systematic deletions to a social media account, you should consult with an experienced immigration attorney. We will continue to share any guidance as we learn more from students who have gone through the social media review.