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US visa processing for Indian students slows further: Govt
The delays come just as the academic session in American universities is set to begin.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 25, Jul 2025
- 14:48 EDT
- 54
Representative image. / Canva
Visa processing timelines for Indian students have been affected by the expansion of vetting by the United States Embassy and consulates in India, the Indian government said.
In a written response to questions raised in the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated, “Additional security requirements for student visas have further reduced the capacity of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India to process visas.”
Read more: Indian students’ job search in the U.S.: How's it going?
In addition, Singh stated that the ministry has received numerous complaints from Indian students and their families who are experiencing difficulty in obtaining appointments just as the academic session in American universities is set to begin.
“The Ministry took up the matter with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi as well as the U.S. Department of State,” Singh said. In response, U.S. authorities have indicated that efforts are underway to ease the pressure. According to the MEA, the U.S. side is working to open a “limited number of additional student visa appointments through the end of August,” ahead of the academic year.
A software-based system has also been launched to prioritize J-1 visa applicants in the physician category, enabling several students who previously could not find appointment slots to now secure them. The U.S. Embassy is additionally developing a student visa fact sheet with frequently asked questions to provide greater clarity to applicants.
While the Indian government acknowledged that visa issuance is a sovereign matter, Singh said India continues to engage U.S. authorities to “promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks” for students and professionals.
The issue of visa delays has been a recurring point of concern in India-U.S. bilateral discussions. During a visit to Washington in January, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the matter directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I flagged some concerns which are very widespread in India about delays in visas… the relationship is not well-served if it takes 400 odd days for people to get a visa,” Jaishankar said at the time.
India sends one of the largest cohorts of international students to the United States annually, and any disruption in visa processing has a significant impact on academic and professional mobility.
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