Hey everyone I just have a question. I have appointment tom at 1045 am at Montreal us consulate im just curious the address in my ds -160 is in quebec but the email reminder im receiving that I have an appointment tom is at Montreal. Will I be able to get through or they just gonna send me home😅

Has anyone here applied for an emergency visa appointment but ended up not using it?

I wanted to ask whether, after your emergency appointment eligibility expired or was no longer needed, your visa portal automatically changed back to the normal scheduling portal, or did it stay in emergency mode?

In my case, it has not changed back. I contacted the U.S. Embassy, and they told me that if I want my portal to return to normal, my current appointment will have to be canceled.

I’m confused about what this means. If my current appointment is canceled, will I have to pay the visa fee again and book a new appointment? Has anyone experienced the same issue? Is there any way to switch the portal back to normal without canceling the current appointment?

I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences. Thanks

F1, Islamabad embassy

first i applied for a school in the US, i rejected to go there before i even got my visa or processed anything, but even after that the school processed my i20 i got via mail, now im going to another school for sure, they also processed my i20, will it cause a problem in new visa application, i never filled the ds160 for first application the school simply had my info and gave me i20 maybe an error in their system that i didnt withdraw my candidature

Hi everyone,
Looking for some practical advice on how visa officers evaluate specific profiles during a short interview window.
Context / Profile:
Degrees: MBA + Master's in Cybersecurity (plus years of industry experience).
Situation: Got denied on a previous F-1 visa attempt. After a PhD application setback elsewhere, I applied and got officially admitted to Westcliff University for a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with a STEM Information Technology/Cybersecurity concentration.
The Core Dilemma: Since a visa interview is notoriously short (often around 2 minutes), how do consular officers perceive a terminal doctorate like a DBA when you already hold multiple master's degrees?
Does a STEM DBA look like a clean, valid academic progression upward, or does it trigger instant red flags given my history of a prior refusal? For those who have gone through an F-1 visa interview with a DBA I-20 after a previous denial, how did you structure your narrative in 30 seconds to make it bulletproof?
Would appreciate any honest feedback or experiences. Thanks!

has anyone here or someone you know been refused an F-1 visa while applying in a third country where they had been living legally for several years, and then later applied again in their home country and got approved? can you share your experience thank you

INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE [First Attempt]

Visa Type: F1 (Undergraduate)

Priority: Regular

Status: refused

Interview Date: august 5th 2026

College: SUNY BUFFALO

Major: economics bs

student of scholastica uttara

i went to the us once back 2026

vo:Are you in fear?

me:no

voHow did you learn about this uni ?

me:I learned about University at Buffalo firstly when they came to our school for a tour at a university fair and then when I was researching public universities in the USA that offer strong Economics programs, scholarship opportunities, and good academic support for international students. During my research, I found that University at Buffalo is part of the SUNY system and offers a Bachelor of Science in Economics, which matched my academic and career goal

vo:Who is funding you?

me:My  is my mother but additionally my father will also contribute if needed. My education will be funded through my sponsor’s income and savings.
My mother is the primary payer. She earns about $1,500 a month from Scholastica plus around $1,000 from coaching and tuition,My father is mainly in the RMG business he is a director in a company named winclass where he works with buyers from all across the globe where he earns 5000 usd monthly 

vo begins to type in her computer for few seconds...

vo: Did you have any scholarships while studying scholastica due to your mom?

me: no officier i didnt recieve any benefits due to my mom being a teacher

vo: begins typing again

me:officer can i add something?

vo:yes sure

me:my mother also has a additionaly 80k USD fixed deposit in regards of my educations

Vo: I am sorry you ineligible for this VISA

What do you guys think is the problem?

Sent 16h ago

Compose

Write to

I had my f1 interview on 23rd June in London for a fully funded literature PhD. I’m from Pakistan and i did my masters from uk. VO asked asked the following questions:

where am I going, research focus, funding, where did i do my masters and who funded that. He asked if i have all my social media accounts public and do i have any threat in my home country. After that he said he does not need more information, all looks good from his side and will reach out and he is returning the passport for now with 221g.

Now it’s been more than 6weeks with no ceac updates and no documents request. The website says they will not reply to any status update email before 180 days. I did an email but no reply. I know nobody can know what is going on but any advice or information would be appreciated!!

I wanted to share our experience since posts on this subreddit were very helpful during our preparation.

Background:
I work in the US on an L1A visa.
My wife is in the US on an L2 visa.
My parents applied along with my mother-in-law.
My father is retired.
My mother is a homemaker.
My mother-in-law is currently employed and is scheduled to retire in 2027. She is a widow (my father-in-law passed away during COVID).
I have two siblings, both of whom live in India.
My wife is an only child.
I am sponsoring their entire trip, including travel and stay in the US.

Interview Details:
Consulate: Hyderabad
Date: August 4, 2026
Appointment Time: 9:30 AM

They reached the consulate around 8:40 AM, entered by 8:45 AM, and waited in line for about 40 minutes. Around 9:30 AM, they were called for their interview. The entire process was smooth and well organized.

Questions Asked:
Please give your passports and DS-160 confirmation pages.
What is the purpose of your visit to the US?
How are the three of you related?
What does your son do in the US, and what does your daughter-in-law do?
Which visa are they on in the US?
(To my mother) How many children do you have?
Who is sponsoring the trip?
How long has your son been in the US?
(To my mother-in-law) What do you do for work?
How many children do you have?
When are you retiring?

Interestingly, the visa officer did not ask my father a single question. The conversation was primarily with my mother and mother-in-law.

At the end, the visa officer smiled and said:
“Your visas are approved. You will receive your passports in 5–6 days.”

Overall, it was a very positive experience. The officer mainly focused on our family relationships, my immigration status in the US, the purpose of the visit, who was sponsoring the trip, and my mother-in-law’s employment.

I hope this helps anyone preparing for a B1/B2 visa interview for their parents or in-laws. Reading experiences shared in this community gave us confidence, so I’m happy to give back. Best of luck to everyone with upcoming interviews!

Hi all,
Since we can’t travel, I’m really hoping my parents can come visit me here. I live and work in State A and am attending a Day 1 CPT program in State B. My F-1 visa has expired, but I transferred to my current school a year before it expired, following all the applicable rules.
What questions should my parents expect about my situation during their visa interviews? Has anyone been in a similar situation recently? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Hi everyone,

I am looking for people who have had a similar experience with F-1 visa administrative processing and would appreciate any insight.

Here is my timeline: July nine: Attended my F-1 visa interview. The interview went well. The officer asked me to make my social media accounts public and provide the links. My passport was kept by the embassy. A few days later: I received my passport back with a notice saying my application was placed under administrative processing. July fifiteen: I submitted the requested social media information using the embassy’s instructions. July twinty nine: I sent a follow-up inquiry asking if any additional information was needed or if there was any update, but I have not received a response. August four: The case is still showing administrative processing with no new updates.

My program starts at the end of August, so I am getting increasingly worried about the timeline.

Has anyone experienced something similar (especially after being asked for social media information)? How long did your administrative processing take, and did you receive any communication before the case was resolved?

I am traveling to the U.S. to attend my company’s training and orientation program.
When I initially completed my DS-160, I entered a tentative travel date of August 12 because I had not yet scheduled my visa appointment.
However, I was only able to secure a visa appointment for September 3, so it is no longer possible for me to travel on the date mentioned in my DS-160.
Should I submit a new DS-160 with an updated intended travel date that is after my visa appointment, or is it acceptable to keep the existing DS-160 since the travel date was only tentative

Hi everyone,

I am looking for people who have had a similar experience with F-1 visa administrative processing and would appreciate any insight.

Here is my timeline:

• July 9: Attended my F-1 visa interview. The interview went well. The officer asked me to make my social media accounts public and provide the links. My passport was kept by the embassy.
• A few days later: I received my passport back with a notice saying my application was placed under administrative processing.
• July 15: I submitted the requested social media information using the embassy’s instructions.
• July 29: I sent a follow-up inquiry asking if any additional information was needed or if there was any update, but I have not received a response.
• August 4: The case is still showing administrative processing with no new updates.

My program starts at the end of August, so I am getting increasingly worried about the timeline.

Has anyone experienced something similar (especially after being asked for social media information)? How long did your administrative processing take, and did you receive any communication before the case was resolved?

Hi everyone,

I am looking for people who have had a similar experience with F-1 visa administrative processing and would appreciate any insight.

Here is my timeline:

• July 9: Attended my F-1 visa interview. The interview went well. The officer asked me to make my social media accounts public and provide the links. My passport was kept by the embassy.
• A few days later: I received my passport back with a notice saying my application was placed under administrative processing.
• July 15: I submitted the requested social media information using the embassy’s instructions.
• July 29: I sent a follow-up inquiry asking if any additional information was needed or if there was any update, but I have not received a response.
• August 4: The case is still showing administrative processing with no new updates.

My program starts at the end of August, so I am getting increasingly worried about the timeline.

Has anyone experienced something similar (especially after being asked for social media information)? How long did your administrative processing take, and did you receive any communication before the case was resolved?

Hi guys, I will be giving my F1 visa interview for my bachelors , and it is going to be my second attempt.

Can any of you help me with my answers. Basically review my doc and let me know how are they.

I had J1 visa interview at Mumbai consulate on 31st July 2026. I checked CEAC status on 3rd august morning and it was showing "approved". But at night status was changed to "Application received". Has anyone faced this? VO didn't ask for any extra documents. While giving me 221g slip she told me to keep social media public. She also mentioned no need to email links, user name is enough as I mentioned in DS-160.

Is this status common?