biochem899

Ohh what embassy is this?? That's amazing!

I wish I had this option too - my school announced today that if we cannot make it to campus by September 30th, we'll need to defer. I'd also opt for a remote start if I could, but I guess it's time to wait and see for me!

If I may ask, are you a citizen of Canada? I thought Canadian citizens don't need visas to study in the US, but I may be wrong. I was also considering whether I could get a visa appointment in another country, which is not affected by the US travel ban, but as a German citizen I am not sure if/how this would affect my chances of getting the visa. That being said, my F-1 visa appointment at the US consulate in Munich for 24th September was just cancelled earlier today..

I'm in a similar position! I have an appointment for 24th September, but my uni said I'd need to get a visa by 15th September at the latest to be able to enrol for the fall semester. I am now hoping I can apply for an earlier 'emergency appointment' but am unsure if this will be granted as US borders stay closed for Europe. Have you considered this option? I believe starting a degree counts as an eligibility criterion for the emergency appointment, at least this is the case in Germany. Are you currently able to travel from Hong Kong to the US should you get the visa? Fingers crossed, trust me I'm as stressed as you are!

Hi! Incoming Yale graduate here, I will be applying for the F-1 visa in Germany and thought I'd join the discussion as I'm just as anxious as everyone else here. SULI, in which country are you applying and how have you heard this? This would indeed be amazing news, I just hope it will apply to all of us.

Hi! I was told by my institution that I will need to secure a visa by September 15th and arrive on campus by September 30th to be able to enrol for the fall semester. Currently I am still just waiting for US borders to reopen as i was told my emergency appointment request would be rejected if apply for this now. I didn't schedule a visa appointment in London, and I believe these will likely be booked out for months anyway.. /:

You're right, non-immigrant visa serves are suspended yet consulates still allow you to currently schedule appointments (at least this is true for Germany and the UK). I assume once you get closer to your scheduled appointment, it'll automatically be cancelled for as long as consulates remain closed. In terms of the expedited appointment, I was told (again, this applies to Germany) that as long as the US travel ban exists, all requests would automatically be denied, so I'll need to wait until the ban is lifted to have any chance at getting the emergency request approved. Sounds like you're in a similar situation - I hope things work out in the end!

Hi everyone! I'm an international student currently studying in the UK. I was accepted into a PhD programme in the US and am now trying to apply for an F-1 visa. Due to the travel ban and closure of consulates/embassies worldwide, I am quite worried about getting my visa on time - I assume I am not the only one. I tried to schedule an appointment in my home country (Germany), however, appointments are fully booked until December. Thus, I was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and has tried to schedule a visa appointment in the UK (London/Belfast)? I'd rather not pay the application fee for the UK as well unless I know more about appointment availability - unfortunately, I was not given any information on this when calling the embassy in London. Thanks in advance and fingers crossed for our visas!!

Hi guys! I'm a third year undergrad student in the UK and was recently accepted into the Cambridge LMB PhD Programme. I was also invited to "visit" the Yale BBS (Biological and Biomedical Sciences) Programme at the end of February, and the post-visit admissions rate should be at least 50-60% , though I don't know for sure yet whether I'll get in. The problem is that I will probably have to accept/reject the Cambridge offer before I visit or hear from Yale and I'm having a hard time deciding what to do. I was wondering if anyone has advice regarding the programmes I applied to or doing a research PhD in the UK vs. US? Unfortunately, I am quite unfamiliar with the differences and advantages/disadvantages of research in the UK vs. US. I'd appreciate any advice I can get, thanks in advance!