US F-1 Visa Application - London/Belfast Appointments

[biochem899]

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!!

[cruel optimism]

Aren't routine nonimmigrant visa services suspended in embassies/consulates worldwide? Or so I was led to believe by my local consulate.
I might still have a chance at arranging for an expedited appointment in my country, but it seems like such appointments are currently reserved for "emergencies" that no longer include travel for studies. In any case, you might want to check if the Belfast/London consulates offer such an option so you might be able to get around the current suspension of visa services. 

[biochem899]

8 hours ago, cruel optimism said:

Aren't routine nonimmigrant visa services suspended in embassies/consulates worldwide? Or so I was led to believe by my local consulate.
I might still have a chance at arranging for an expedited appointment in my country, but it seems like such appointments are currently reserved for "emergencies" that no longer include travel for studies. In any case, you might want to check if the Belfast/London consulates offer such an option so you might be able to get around the current suspension of visa services. 

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!

[cruel optimism]

6 hours ago, biochem899 said:

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.

That's what I figured. I checked the current requirements for expedited appointments (for my country) again, and thus far, only medical emergencies and urgent humanitarian concerns are permissible reasons for such requests. I guess we'll just have to wait for the consulates to reopen after all. 

[Sven Z]

Hello there! I am in the exact same situation and haven't scheduled an appointment in London due to the uncertainty. May I ask about your plan for the autumn enrollment? It is highly possible that we cannot secure a visa before August:(

[Cryss]

6 hours ago, Sven Z said:

Hello there! I am in the exact same situation and haven't scheduled an appointment in London due to the uncertainty. May I ask about your plan for the autumn enrollment? It is highly possible that we cannot secure a visa before August:(

My school told me that legally, international students cannot begin a semester after it has begun, meaning, if you can't make it in time for the start of the Fall semester, you must wait to start in Spring (and of course you can't enter the US more than 30 days before the beginning of that semester). 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Cryss

[biochem899]

On 6/24/2020 at 2:46 AM, Sven Z said:

Hello there! I am in the exact same situation and haven't scheduled an appointment in London due to the uncertainty. May I ask about your plan for the autumn enrollment? It is highly possible that we cannot secure a visa before August:(

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.. /:

[Cryss]

On 6/24/2020 at 8:55 AM, Cryss said:

My school told me that legally, international students cannot begin a semester after it has begun, meaning, if you can't make it in time for the start of the Fall semester, you must wait to start in Spring (and of course you can't enter the US more than 30 days before the beginning of that semester). 

Just amending my post to say that the end of September is the correct deadline to make it in the US for the semester, not the beginning of the Fall semester.