The next question has also changed to reflect the new H1B dropbox option for certain new applicants. I was wondering if there is any possibility that embassy will cancel appointment due to rising covid cases? Applicants whose placeholder appointments were cancelled may now reenter the scheduling system to book regular appointments. Have anyone seen Interview slots in Hyderabad for the month of Sept yet? It says I am eligible for interview waiver but since its my first h1b visa stamping, i think i need to give the interview. In the past, the above question used to have the question specific to H1B as in the below screenshot and question. The same interview waiver option is available for H1B Visa renewal as well. I have dropbox appointment for May 2023. Am I eligible for interview waiver now ? Or any contact details to verify that I am in right page? more than 300 days for interview waiver appointment in Chennai. For instance, the URLs would look like the below for India & Germany. Fill a Form D.S. The US Consulates have not opened fully for regular operations, they continue to operate in a very limited fashion with limited slots. I hear Nepal is allowing Indians. Also there are several ongoing changes to the DropBox process which we need to be aware of. Lack of slots availability 2. Check the previous weeks update. Have a few questions from DS-160 perspective. The same situation with H and L Visas Most slots are fully booked for the next few months and they will open more starting in September. If you are called up to attend graduation for F1 students, you can raise an Emergency appointment. It will usually be 6 pages. Check below for full details and actual Q&A responses. I dont see a option to reschedule. This was a good move. They did confirm that renewals for B1/B2 slots are opened on a rolling basis. Regarding slots for other visa types like B1/B2, H1B, L1 and others see below updates from April. In general, the dropbox processing time SLA is about 7 to 10 working days, but due to the higher load, it seems they are taking more than that time. We are unable to speculate on future changes to policies regarding eligibility for interview waiver. I know this is a million dollar question but did anyone have any luck for any slots opening till this Dec 2022 ? Change US Consulate interview location on DS-160 after Submission? Sandeep, We have very less data points as it is very new. No changes in the situation and consulates continuously say the same message on their official Twitter account saying that they have limited capacity and slots. Below is the list of documents that need to be submitted for H1B Dropbox Submission during the appointment : You can carry either color printout or a black and white printout of your appointment letter/ confirmation page. doddamani, No one knows. We cant expedite/retrieve passport during this period, so make sure to drop off the passport only when youll be able to wait for full processing to be completed. See the below screenshot on how it looks. Is Dropbox for first time H1B stamping from F1, still valid for 2023? yes, you should go at the same time and date. Step by Step H1B Dropbox Process: Eligibility, Documents, Change of Employer, H1B Visa Dropbox Eligibility Requirements, Dropbox Option for certain First Time H1B Visa Applicants, H1B Dropbox Eligibility for Change of Employer, Step by Step Guide to Apply for H1B Visa Dropbox Appointment, US Visa Status on CEAC Website after Documents Submission, H1B Dropbox Stamping Not Approved Situation, Dropbox Option for certain First Time H1B Visa Applicants, Travel to USA Processes, Samples, How to Guides. I'm hoping to have it by next week. Please reply here if anyone found a resolution to this. See the below screenshot. But, this has changed in mid-2021. The visa status on the CEAC website will continue to show status as Administrative Processing or Refused. Hi, Please help me out with B1/B2 dropbox eligiblity, I have applied renewal for my old parents and paid MRV fee on August 23rd 2021. In general, most of the cases, for many this would be No See below screenshot. Now with the new option for interview waiver, the below question is not relevant until the end of 2022. We strongly recommend keeping a buffer of at least 3 weeks after dropping your application as you can be called for an interview. Chand, First you need to be clear on what company you want to work with using the new visa that they will issue using dropbox. Those logistics might be hard to figure out, yea I checked it out and was stuck at the payment stage, will see if there are any Agents that can help with the payment. Can we write to the embassy and check in any way possible? There was no Visa Fridays Q&A last week. The second page would have the details of the Dropbox Location and instructions. They plan to open some more slots for Fall and winter as resources allow. They are not opening slots for fresh B1/B2 stampings yet and do not know when they will open B1/B2 Stamping slots for first time B1/B2 applicants. They said that during the first week of January 2023, they released over 200,000 B1/B2 appointments. They will verify all the documents and then take the listed documents in the above checklist. Is this universal or a worst case scenario? OFC stands for Offsite Facilitation Center in the US Visa Appointments context. We have received visa dropbox appointment and we are confused about the documents needed for her H1B COS. Do we need to submit previously approved H4 approval letter (from 2019) for her? They are opening more H1B Slots, but due to the demand, they fill up quickly. Hi, I have my H1B petition approved and in I-797B form with validity till August 2023. or do we need to pay again to schedule? You can check the US Visa Stamping Experiences section with L1 experiences. Student Appointments for Fall 2022 will be opened later in the spring. See the above timeline in article for the most recent update. Good news! On Jan 11th, US Embassy said that they do not plan to open any more F1 visa stamping slots for in-person interview for the month of January. Thoushif, The payments must be valid, yes, you can schedule, if you can find a slot. They updated their system in October 2022, Due to the extreme amount of demand, they have slowed down the approvals of EA requests . Please press the Back button and choose a new OFC appointment Date.. On Jan 1st, 2022, CGI Federal/UStravelDocs website got updated with new questions that implements the new interview waiver rule. Like Indian Time or US day time also we should keep checking slot? Now my wife created her USTravelDoc account and Paid the DS-160 fees together ( spouse and 2 kids ). Student visa appointments are available on our website. thanks. F1 Slots to open in mid-May for June and beyond. It looks like in the below screenshot. Please let me know if you have any update on this. are they still eligible for dropbox, pleaseeeeeee answer ?? Rescheduling drop off date allowed. dropbox eligibility for H1B holders to 48 months, administrative processing refusal like 221g, US Visa Stamping Dropbox Option for certain H1B Visa applicants, annotation added for reference of the CBP officer, https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=India, https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Germany, new Dropbox Eligibility option for certain first-time H1B Holders. But I have not received the Passport of our Daughter and not able to trace the same at the Bluedart Courier Website as well. US Embassy updated on Jun 24th saying that they opened more F1 Slots for students planning to be in the US by mid-August. As per the US Visa Dropbox Appointment Letter, below is the screenshot of the list of documents that you need to carry for document submission. US Consulates are giving 221(g) Administrative Processing slip for pending visa processing applications or if someone does not fall under NIE. My wife and son never had a US Visa before. Now that you understand the general requirements for H1B stamping using dropbox, lets look at the step-by-step process. hi, Looks like this article is not latest as per the the latest visa renewal guidelines https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en/renew-visa. If there are no appointments in 2022 then I will have to get an appointment in 2023 which is too far, will I be able to cancel 2023 appointment and reschedule in 2022 if gets available. October 17th, 2022: Below are the updates from the beginning of October until today. How about my wife and son, will they be eligible for drop box? Could you please give more clarity on H1 Dropbox? If you see a message that says, "There are no available appointments at this time," please try . Many are really confused on what will happend to their appointments, if they do not extend. i read that same visa class within 48 months of the prior visas expiration has been extended indefinitely ? The app will also add Canada Dropbox eligibility options pretty soon. I am open to travel to nearby counties that allow TCNs, Trying to get back to my kids in the US. See the below screenshot. The verbiage in the posts is accurate. Below is the sample for India. venky, You are right, if the applicant meets all the requirements, they are eligible for dropbox. I have a set of questions regarding my H1B case, my lottery got selected in April 2020 and the petition was approved till Sept 2023. There are limited slots that are open for in-person and they fill quickly. The F1 stamp in my passport expired in 2017. I am in the same boat. you can check https://visagrader.com/us-visa-time-slots-availability/india-ind/ to see some trends. No changes in the US Consulates situation or the way they are operating in the last week or so. I want to pay the fees and schedule an appointment now but my H-1B renewal application is pending so I will have to update the DS-160 with the new receipt number when I receive the approval. Ive inquired with India support, they keep sending a general email and ask to go to the VAC at the scheduled time. They say that H1B and L visas are treated the same in their system, with exception of Blanket L visas processed only at Chennai. It looks like in the below screenshot. Also, it will include changes to dropbox requirements in recent times during the pandemic. See the below screenshot. Yes, slots are opening on a rolling basis for B1/B2 now. when they do is it also available for reschedule ? Your H1B visa stamp in your passport was not lost, stolen, or canceled. Still, all the US Consulates in India continue to be operating in a limited fashion as in previous weeks. The representative need to carry a photo id to submit documents. . I am eligible for dropbox but I dont see any OFC appointments in Mumbai or other consulates. I am trying to schedule H1b visa stamp dropbox at Mumbai VAC but on cgi federal there are zero appointment slots available there are no slots even for 2023. anyone idea when they will be opening up? They are doing this considering the COVID situation in India. Any location is fine Any thoughts on fee we pay and chances wherein we need to for extension of H1-B meanwhile ? I added spouse and kids as a dependent as well, they never have any US visa nor any rejection. See below tweets. All you need to do is maintain Status. I'm looking for options to score an appointment in Aug/Sep 2022 like trying other countries, following is what I know so far: * India ( Dates are in 2023 -> both dropbox & in-person)* Canada ( Dates are in 2023 -> in-person )* Mexico ( Dates are in Dec 2022 -> in-person)* Qatar ( Dates are in July 2022 -> in-person) - When I called the consulate they said only Qatar nationals and permanent resident can attend the Qatar's US consulate for non immigrant visa. So I booked my dropbox h1b appointment at oct 2022 at hyderabad so can I dropoff my documents at chennai? our son is just 5 months and staying away from his father is really sad. Currently we have April 2023 appointment which was last chance to book in the 5 th attempt. Is this fine? So, the appointment you book on this screen is for dropping off your H1B Dropbox Stamping Document and not Biometrics. Below are the updates. June 13th, 2022: Below are the latest updates from June 1st, 2022 until now. Slots are fully booked for H and L for the next few months. I paid the combined fees through NEFT in one transaction. Detailed Story: Checking US visa slot availability has been a hurdle to at least 5.5 million Indians every year for multiple reasons 1. Updated 04/30/2013. They say that they open appointments on a rolling basis. This is Mihir having H1B Visa approved and working in USA now. See below the video links, US Embassy also updated their Facebook page saying they will not entertain any Emergency Appointments for F1 students applying for Fall 2022 now as it is really early and there is time to book slots. Also there might be risk of RFE going to middle east for stamping* Jamaica ( Couldn't find any dates for appointment )* Dominique ( Stopped non-immigration visa appointments), The other countries on my radar are:* Nepal* Malaysia, * South KoreaBut I could hardly find any info on the feasibility and availability of non-immigration (H1B) appointment dates for Indians in these countries, Does anyone has experience of getting Visa stamping done/have insights into* Getting Visa appointment in other nations (outside India esp Malaysia/Mexico/Nepal) for H1B in 2022* If you know of any other means to get slots in India ( ex: using reliable agents; NOTE: I reached out to few and they confirmed the no slots in 2022 but said they can monitor openings from cancellation to immediately book the slot )* If you had experience in getting emergency Visa appointment with Family Emergency successfully ( ex: serious illness/surgery ) in India or other countries (Malaysia/Mexico/Canada/Nepal), I'm on the following telegram groups monitoring for visa slots:* H1B/H4 Visa Dropbox slots* H1B/H4 Regular visa slots. All US consulates in India continue to operate in limited fashion with limited number of appointments. US Consulates are set to release tens of thousands of F1 visa slots for Fall 2022 starting from mid-May stay tuned. Due to Omicron variant, if Govt gives any instructions then they may cancel appointments. Thank you! You can read the below updates for previous guidance. I'm wondering how hard has it been lately and how long is it taking to get a Dropbox appointment in India. Is this normal? Visa Interview ? Not all visa applications can be completed on the day of the interview; please read the information below for more details. For permanent address, I intend to give the Indian address on my passport and temporary/current address the US residence. The process to submit documents is pretty straightforward as listed below. Regarding F1 visa stamping slots, there are fewer slots available. Also, in general, they do not plan to cancel appointments, if there is no specific local guidance or restriction. What is Clearance Received or Department Authorization annotation? Dropbox Processing time varies from 1 day to 6 weeks. Why dont they just put a stamping on a passport when we do extension in US. To give you more context, when your H1B Visa was issued by the US Consulate, the H1B Visa foil that was glued in your passport would have the H1B Sponsoring Company name and the petition number details on it under the annotation section, as you can see in below screenshot. See our website for availability: https://t.co/92HvXCGbAh. However, if there is a scenario that I-797 gets expired is there a way we can use the same receipt by updating the new DS 160 in the CGI profile ? After your passport is in Issued status, you can track your passport status on CGI Federal Website. Or only H1B letters are necessary? Only the rule fo 48-month got extended beyond Dec 2021, that is what they mean by indefinitely. US Embassy Updated on June 9th, 2022 that for Dropbox Stamping submissions, it can take anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks for the processing and they cannot expedite the processing of the same. DS-160 form is a very lengthy form and asks for a lot of information. You will get a chance to review and confirm the details you have entered until now as a summary. Hi thanks Kumar. So I think Malaysia has about 30 days wait time. Below is the summary. US Embassy in India had Visa Friday Q&A Session on July 29th, 2022. I have been trying to get a F1 visa appointment for more than a week now and not able to get an appointment. This will reduce and some hassle and we may see more people traveling to India. It looks like in the below screenshot. Soumya, This is a million-dollar question, no one knows. The lifting of the travel ban to the US does not mean that you can get an appointment to get visa stamping. @shareandsmile #h1bvisalife #telegramsupport #dropboxHow did I plan my travel? We will cover all areas like dropbox eligibility requirements, booking appointments, documents checklist, how it works with employer change or H1B Visa Transfer situations, and status changes. It is better to carry the required documents, than scramble for the same in last minute. (3/3), Please note, however, that the rescission of the previous Presidential Proclamation restricting travel from India does not necessarily mean that a U.S. Embassy or Consulate is able to immediately schedule all affected applicants for visa processing. 2. Question 4: Have you ever been refused a U.S.visa before?. Will look into Brazil. The first step to applying for H1B stamping using the interview waiver or dropbox option is to ensure you meet all the general required criteria for a typical interview waiver or dropbox. After getting stamp and come back then again extension in 2-3 years . Thanks a ton Kumar! US Visa Dropbox / Renewal VAC vs. IW Confusion, New Change, at Sample US Visa Dropbox Confirmation Letter India, Employment Verification or Confirmation Letter, Can Drop off US Visa Dropbox Documents at any Location now, Why CEAC website shows Refused Status for US Visa, When to get H1B stamping after approval of petition, What is 221g ? Listen to this article. I have seen only 2 week ends after that never seen any slots availability. No changes to the vaccination requirements, you still need to be fully vaccinated. Dropbox ? You can check VisaGraders Dropbox Tracker , they have data from users. I have not been able to leave the country due to not having a Visa sticker in my passport I would not be able to get back into the USA if I left. You can make a Visa fee payment using that option. Response: If you had any US Visa issued in the past, you would answer Yes. Also, to confirm the above, when you fill out the visa details and answer the questionnaire on US Visa CGI Federal Website, you will not be asked for your previous employer information or what your visa stamp annotation says. US Visa Approval & Refusal Rates by Country and Visa H1B Visa Tracker (FY 2023) US Visa Stamping Dropbox (Interview Waiver) Tracker US Visa Emergency Appointment Tracker USCIS Processing Times Looking for a B1/B2 interview waiver (dropbox) visa appointment? Also, in the first nine months, they processed over 160,000 H & L Visas in India and they continue to prioritize H1B and L visa holders. Are they allowing third country nationals at this time? It looks like in the below screenshot. How did you get the appointments at two different locations? You probably need to carry all updated documents , otherwise you will get 221g. A large batch of F1 student appointments will open later in May. More H1B, H4, L1 and L2 visa slots will open from January 2022. If you have comments and/or questions related to the agency's Section 508 program, please contact the Section 508 Coordinator via email at USCIS-Section508@uscis.dhs.gov. The applicant needs to meet all the below 7 requirements to be eligible for H1B Dropbox as a first-time H1B applicant: Check complete details on the above at US Visa Stamping Dropbox Option for certain H1B Visa applicants. You can check the timeline section to get detailed links and, official sources, and news screenshots in the next section. Dropbox OFC appointment dates Over 1M Trackitt Users Coronavirus (COVID-19): What You Need to Know Before You Travel Read More Toggle navigation Trackers USA Employment Based Trackers USA Family Based Trackers Canada Immigration Trackers UK Immigration Trackers Australia Immigration Trackers Forums USA Employment Based Forums It is divided into sections with a summary, and timeline for easy review. 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