After months of no-show, the US started releasing visa slots for F-1 students but the slots are vanishing within minutes, pushing students to panic and anxiety about whether they would make it well before their academic session begins this Fall in US schools and colleges. Like H-1B, there were months of inactivity for F-1 students' visa after social media vetting was introduced in December 2025. Now the visa slots are being released in tranches and the slots are getting booked within minutes.
According to the latest update, a massive bulk of slots were released on May 15 for June-July dates, which is crucial for Fall but they vanished instantly.
Checklist for F-1 slot booking
- Do not check the portal frequently as that would get you a 24-72 hour 'access limit' block
- Do not switch between Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad consultes as that triggers instant session restrictions.
- Prepare everything (DS-160, I-20, etc.) in advance so you can book quickly when a slot appears.
What happens at an F-1 visa interview?
Career coach Pritesh Jagani, in his latest social media video, explained how the F-1 interviews have changed in 2026. He said he spoke to visa officers and understood that the interviewing officers figure out in the first 5 minutes of the conversation if a student should be granted a visa. There are no right or wrong answers but officers try to get an idea of how much the student is interested in the course and the school they have chosen and whether they are not just trying to get inside the US in some way and someone else chose the course and the school on their behalf.
- Expect technical questions about the course, the application process, and the fee.
- A visa officer may ask your rationale behind choosing the specific school/university to understand if you have chosen it.
- They may check if you know which city your university is in, which airport to land -- only to know how involved you were in the process.
