A recent announcement has been made by the US Embassy on X(formerly Twitter) that there is going to be a major policy change in the rules of Student visa applicants in India. The change was made to take preventive measures for fraud and abuse of the appointment system and will be implemented from 27th November 2023.
What is the update?
From 27th November 2023, all F, M, and J student visa applicants must use their own passport information when creating a profile and scheduling their visa appointments. The U.S. Embassy specified that if the applicant is using an incorrect passport number for profile creation or appointment booking he/she will have to face the consequences.
Applicants who create a profile or book an appointment with an incorrect passport number will not be accepted at the Visa Application Centers (VAC). Their appointments will be canceled, and the visa fee will not be refunded. To reapply, applicants must create a new profile with the correct passport information or access any existing profile which has the correct details to rebook an appointment. Although, this process requires the payment of a new visa fee receipt if the old receipt was attached to a profile with incorrect passport information.
Applicants who have recently renewed their passport or obtained a new one after losing or having it stolen can still proceed with their appointment. In such cases, they need to provide a photocopy or other evidence that would be the proof of the old passport number.
To pursue education in the United States, international students must apply for and be approved for a student visa. Depending on the course they want to pursue, the students may require an F or M visa.
F Visa is specifically designed for Academic Students enrolled in language training programs or accredited colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, academic high schools, or other academic institutions.
M Visa is designed for Vocational Students enrolled in vocational or nonacademic programs, excluding language instruction.
The announcement highlights the significance of accurate passport information in the visa application process. It is a crucial step to keep the system fair and make sure international students do not face a problem in applying for their studies in the United States. As the new rule is going into power from the 27th of November, students are advised to apply for a visa after correcting their passport information to avoid any problems during the application.