Don Heflin, Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs US Embassy has revealed important information regarding student visa applications. He also responded to the complaints of system locking if applicants keep checking the US student visa website.
Heflin recommended that the system must be checked only twice or thrice a day and that way, students would not get locked out. Appointments go very fast if they check twice or thrice a day and they might miss them. If they keep on checking continuously, it may lead to a disappointing situation for students.
Heflin further cautioned students against talking to those who provide a package of fake documents or ask to make false claims as it will surely get students into trouble for getting US student visas.
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He highlighted that India is the highest sender of students to US colleges and universities.
Helfin also stressed the fact that next summer, they may have 100% staffing to avoid issues of students travelling between cities to visit consulates. He hailed the Covid-19 pandemic as responsible for freezing everything. They have different global consuls at different places. With 100% staffing next summer, students will not have to rush to other cities.
He also responded to the queries of whether students need visa stamping who are in the US for OPT (Optional Practical Training). They have started drop box appointments for students, which were not available earlier.
If students are in the US on OPT and they are in status with their school and immigration service, then there is no need for a visa to leave the country. What they are doing is perfectly legal. But if they want to leave the country, they need to get a visa. In such situations, students can use the drop box appointment.
Earlier Helfin had earlier said that 82,000 US visas were issued to Indian students, breaking records between May and June 2022.
Source: The Mint
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