Dear students and scholars,
On Tuesday, May 15 the Department of State announced a pause of all new F/J visa appointments. We understand this to be a short-term measure until protocols regarding social media vetting are established. Summarized below is the current information that we have:
- Existing Visa Appointments: Students and scholars with scheduled appointments should proceed with the process as planned. Please check the websites of the US Embassy or Consulate nearest to your place of residence for updates.
- Future Visa Appointments: US Embassies and Consulates are not scheduling visa appointments until the completion of the social media vetting process is finished. Students and scholars who have not scheduled an appointment may face delays.
- I-20/DS2019 Submission: ISO will continue to process all completed requests via UR Compass. However, students and scholars will not be able to schedule an appointment, as noted above.
We understand your concern about the delays in scheduling a visa appointment. The team in the International Services Offices (ISO) is closely monitoring State Department developments and we will provide updates as new information becomes available. Additionally, we will keep The Federal Policy Changes on our website updated. Please know that, as members of the international community, you are integral to the richness of our academic and cultural community.
Kindest regards,
Ravi Shankar
Interim Vice Provost for Global Engagement
Wendy Fritz
Interim Assistant Vice Provost and Interim Director of International Services Office