According to the US Embassy in India via their Friday Q&A session on their Facebook page, student visa appointment slots will be opening up in April 2023 and again in the Summer. Many student visa hopefuls have already deferred their programs from Spring to Summer due to the lack of appointment slots in 2023 so far. Attending your visa appointment is the last step before getting your application approved and getting your student visa.

The US Embassy in India suggests monitoring their website closely as they are preparing for a small student visa season in April. They are also preparing for a larger summer season, similar to last year in 2022.

They also mentioned in comments that first time applicants will be prioritized over refused applicants at this time. Appointments for previous refusals will be released capacity permitting and it is recommended to continue to monitor their website in order to get an appointment as soon as one opens up.

The Embassy also suggests contacting your school to change your start date or consider applying outside of India if you have an earlier start date this year as appointments will not open up until April. The previous window of open student visa appointments was in January of 2023, and those appointments filled very quickly.

If you are waiting for a student visa appointment, be sure to continue checking the US Embassy in India’s website to snag an appointment as soon as one is available.