A wave of panic has swept through India’s student community as thousands of aspiring scholars find themselves unable to book visa appointments for upcoming academic sessions in the United States. Despite holding valid admissions and I-20 forms from American universities, students are stuck in a frustrating limbo, with visa interview slots vanishing overnight across consulates.

While the U.S. spring intake earlier this year progressed without significant hurdles, the situation took a dramatic turn in mid-March when all available F-1 visa appointments suddenly disappeared. Many students, who had been preparing for months, are now left anxiously refreshing portals in hopes of new openings—so far, with no success.

According to visa advisors and consultants, this abrupt freeze appears to be linked to recent changes in the scheduling system. These updates were reportedly aimed at curbing fraudulent activity but seem to have had the unintended consequence of halting legitimate student applications. As the May intake approaches, the complete lack of clarity from officials has only intensified concerns.

The problem is further magnified by recent trends showing a drop in the number of U.S. student visas issued to Indian nationals this year. Despite record-breaking figures in the previous year, the current downturn—coupled with vanishing appointments—paints a troubling picture for international education hopefuls.

With university deadlines looming and no indication of when the slots might reopen, students are calling for urgent intervention. For now, the uncertainty continues, leaving academic dreams hanging by a thread.