How to Get a Student Visa Appointment for US in India?

Students looking to travel to the USA to study would require a US Student Visa to enter the country. Students wanting to know the US Visa appointment procedure from India need only follow the steps mentioned below to successfully book a Visa Appointment for the US with the US Embassy to get their visa to study in the US.

Over the years, the US Student Visa Application process has been made simpler to allow more deserving students to study in the United States of America. The new applicants going to study in USA would require proper knowledge of US visa slot booking, which has been discussed in this article in detail.

US Visa Appointment in India – Step-by-Step Process

Indian applicants looking at applying for an F1 visa or any other visa to study in USA, can follow this step-by-step process to fix an appointment: 

1. Submission of Application Form DS-160
2. Completing OFC Appointment requirements for biometrics
3. Generating the CEAC Barcode
4. Payment of US Visa Application Fee
5. Payment of SEVIS Fee
6. Scheduling your US Visa Appointment Date
7. Check the status of your Visa Appointment for US

US Visa Slot Booking Details

Here is what you'd need to do when you get your I-20 form and DS-160 form upon US university acceptance in the following sections.  

1. Submission of Application Form DS-160

Candidates looking to enter the US must schedule a US Visa Appointment date with the embassy/ consulate. Before that, the candidates must submit an online Visa Application Form (DS-160). To complete the online application form, students must keep their valid passport and I-20 Letter (a document that validates successful admission to a US University). Candidates would also be required to upload their photographs within the specified guidelines. Applicants are advised to carry copies of the same photograph to the embassy/consulate on the day of the US Visa Interview.

While completing the form, candidates should be careful to provide only accurate information. As Form DS-160 is an online application form, candidates are required to save the form often to avoid any data loss. They should thoroughly go through the entire form before hitting the submit button. All incomplete forms would be rejected at the start. Also, read about the social media vetting rules in USA and submit your social media handles on the DS-160 before submitting a student visa application. 

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2. OFC Appointment

Around 2-3 days before the actual US student visa interview date, applicants will have to complete the OFC appointment. In this step, applicants have to visit the nearest VAC and submit their fingerprints as part of the biometric check. Once this is done, they can go ahead and submit their student visa application fee, SEVIS fee and also submit their DS-160. 

3. Generating the CEAC Barcode

On the successful submission of Form DS-190, a confirmation sheet containing the CEAC Barcode will be generated. The DS-160 CEAC Barcode confirmation page should be kept safely for future reference. Students would also require the CEAC Barcode when scheduling the US Visa booking appointment date and payment of the US Student Visa Application Fee. Candidates are advised to mail a copy of the completed Form DS-160 along with the CEAC Barcode to their email ID for safekeeping and take a printout. The Form DS-160 with CEAC Barcode would be in PDF Format and students would require the latest version of the Adobe Reader to view the file correctly.

4. Payment of US Visa Application Fee

The next important step in the US Visa application procedure from India is to successfully pay your Student Visa Application Fee through the various methods of payment listed on the official website. Students should create a profile and choose the ‘Schedule an Appointment’ option to ensure timely payment and activation. The payment page would provide you with options to complete the transaction. Students would have to allow the system up to 2 business days to process the payment and generate the MRV receipt. 

5. Submit SEVIS Fee

The applicants will also have to submit the SEVIS fee, which is required to process applications for those admitted to an SEVP-certified institution. The SEVIS fee for F and M applicants is USD 350. The J1 visa applicants in USA will have to pay USD 220. 

6. Scheduling your US Visa Appointment Date (visa slot booking)

Once you have successfully paid the US Visa Application Fee, you must schedule your US Visa slot booking appointment date based on the available dates. Candidates must provide the bank receipt number before choosing the preferred date and time of Visa Appointment for the US. All students looking to visit the USA must appear in person for the appointment at the designated centres in their city along with the documents mentioned.

Candidates would be required to carry the following documents with them at the US Visa Appointment Centre:

• DS 160 Confirmation page
• I-20 Letter (duly signed)
• Visa Appointment Letter
• Visa Application Fee
• Original Passport

How to Check Your US Visa Appointment Status?

Candidates who are looking to visit the United States of America for further education are required to apply for their US Student Visa well in advance to avoid any unnecessary confusion in the last moments. They would have to successfully submit their Form D-160, pay the visa application fee and choose a day for their Visa Appointment for their US visa appointment biometrics and interview. This is a fairly simple process, however, a lengthy one. Hence, candidates who have applied for their US Visa Appointment can check the status of their US Visa Application Process by visiting the official website and logging in to their account with their credentials. Students are also advised to keep the documents needed for US Visa VAC appointments. 

Check: US Student Visa Processing Times

Documents Required for US Visa Appointment from India

Here is a list of important documents that should be kept handy for students looking to undertake the US Visa Procedure from India:

• Original Passport
• I-20 Letter (Duly Signed)
• Bank Statements for the last 6 months
• US Visa Appointment Letter
• US Visa Application Fee
• Education Qualification Documents
• Certificate of excellence in Extra Curricular Activities
• Standardized test scores for:
  • UG: SAT / ACT 
  • PG: GRE / GMAT

• ELP Test scores: TOEFL/ IELTS/ PTE Academic scores if applicable

• Passport size photograph that was used for Form D-160
• Proof of work experience if any
• Income Tax Returns (Last 3 Years)

 Also read:

• Top MBA Colleges in the US
• US Student Visa: Myths vs. Reality

Often described as the land of dreams, the United States of America with its booming economy is a learner’s treasure trove. The country provides state-of-the-art education, flexible part-time working options and liberal post-study work options for students to benefit from. Students can take maximum advantage of the various scholarships in USA available in the country to study at some of the top universities in the US.

US Visa Appointment in India Consular Address

Those applying for US visa appointments in India can apply to five designated US consular offices. These five US consular offices are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai. The details of each of these US Consular offices located in Indian cities are as follows:

If you are still confused about a VISA Appointment for the US in India, contact our Study Abroad Shiksha Overseas Admission Counseling services to clear your doubts.