US to start student visa application process from mid-May
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 May, 2023 03:47 PM
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The US will begin processing student visa applications for the Fall Session with the first batch of appointments available from mid-May.
"Attention students! In mid-May, the US Mission to India will open the first batch of appointments for the upcoming student visa season," the US Consulate General in Hyderabad announced via a tweet.
"Additional appointments will be released later in the season. Prepare for your appointments and stay tuned for more student visa related announcements," it said.
The US consulates processed nearly 1.25 lakh visa applications of students in India last year.
The country intends to increase visa interview appointments for Indian students by 30 per cent this summer.
In a much needed breather for students, the State Department announced in February that the 'F' and 'M' categories of student visas can now be issued up to a year in advance.
Previously, international students could apply only 120 days before the start of their study program.
Now they can submit their application 365 days in advance.
The development comes with the State Department announcing a hike in the fees of student visas.
Beginning May 30, the fees for non-petition based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas, will increase from $160 to $185 (Rs 15,140 for Indians).
H-1B Visa, US Visa: "Applying for your work #USvisa? You can apply up to 90 days before the employment start date noted on your I-797 form," the US Embassy wrote in a tweet.
The US Department of Treasury on Thursday announced it had imposed sanctions on the high-profile Gupta brothers - Ajay, Atul and Rajesh - of South Africa and their associate Salim Essa for corruption.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Wednesday said it has obtained all the necessary clearances to take out the grand ‘Nagar Kirtan’ which is scheduled to start from the city and culminate at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.
Pakistanis expressed their anger on social media as pictures of an official distributing burqas to girl students of a secondary government school went viral, Pakistani media reports said.
