It says I am eligible for interview waiver but since its my first h1b visa stamping, i think i need to give the interview. If you do not have any annotations in the visa stamp such as Clearance Received or Department Authorization, you would answer No. You need to go only during the appointment date and allowed times to the dropbox location in the appointment confirmation letter. Is it possible that H1 is really refused and H4 is issued? Since September 2019, if you plan to use Interview Waiver/ Dropbox option for US Visa renewal in India, you need to book an Appointment for US Visa Dropbox . I cant renew those passports in USA as only 5 business days left for my travel, but I can do in Tatkal renewal in India after I get visa stamping and before coming back to USA. Now, there is no country restriction as such. I was on L1B Visa and changed my status to H1B couple of years ago. Appreciate you for the valid help. is that what you are seeing too? They suggest keeping checking the CGI Federal website. See the below screenshot. Lets look at the eligibility requirements first in the context of an H1B visa. Depending on answer to this, we might or might not qualify for drop-box. US Consulates are set to release tens of thousands of F1 visa slots for Fall 2022 starting from mid-May stay tuned. Mihir, Usually for kids, both parents must have the stamping done and valid. You just need to carry your both passport. Thanks. thanks. You can fill a new DS-160 as needed and update the same info on USTravelDocs as well. I am a resident of Mumbai and have submitted the Passports at the Mumbai VAC Consulate office on 1st September. You can check the official updates reference links in the below timelines. May 2nd, 2022: Below are the latest updates from last week, until today. I am on my 3rd year of my 1st H1B visa and my company will not be renewing until July 2023. Future F, M, and J appointment openings at the Embassy and Consulates will be for interviews taking place after Aug 14, so if you need to arrive at school by mid-Aug, book an appointment now! See the below screenshot. Just note that youll need to leave us your passport for up to 3-4 weeks while the application is being processed. No change in the overall situation of Consulates in India, they continue to be operating in limited fashion like in the previous weeks. Is H1B extension denial the same as visa denial? are those payments valid? Till now the interview is not scheduled due to unavailability of the slots. Eligibility criteria says person should have done visa stamping before.. Gauri, No, he should have got F1 visa to go to the US right, that would help him with interview waiver. There are only two possible outcomes for U.S. visa applications. You can check previous weeks updates below for more on the same. There was no Visa Fridays Q&A last week ( July 22nd, 2022). Biometrics? I have an approval and since I meet the eligibility for drop box do I still need to go for an interview? Latest Visa Bulletin Analysis. Dropbox facility is available till 31st Dec 2022 only . Read US Visa vs. They say that applicants can book Regular B1/B2 Appointments ( not placeholder slots) all the way through 2023. Hi Kumar, My spouse was on H4 visa starting from 2017 and we did the visa extension in 2019. You will need to provide proof of the need for an earlier appointment. its always same OFC appointment i can select/pick some dates, when navigated to next screen for consular in-person appointment there are no dates available message Im missing anything ? Student visa appointments are available on our website. First-time B1/B2 applicants can now book in-person appointments for interviews. Thank you for providing timely updates on all visa types. 2) My company says that placeholder appointments are available from March 2023. Current passport and any old passports with a U.S. visa. Check below tweet from them. If theres an active Group for updates on B2 visa slots, please let me know Thanks and regards.. V.Venkatesh, Has anyone had any luck with booking appointments for even 2023? Thats more than in any month since July 2019 and one of our highest monthly totals ever! Do share your inputs here on what they asked for community benefit. You will not be permitted to enter the facility before the time listed on your appointment letter.Step 4. This sounds like you can only apply if youre applying first time or renewing? You should refer to the instructions on the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section where you will interview, or on their online appointment scheduling site. Is this because all appointments until mid-July are filled? See the below screenshot. They plan to open the second half of July and the first half of August appointments later. I am wondering if doing our dropbox first and then scheduling kids dropbox will take too much time and instead should I do appointment for all 3 together even if the delay is > 300 days. January 31st, 2022: Below are the latest updates from the last three weeks until today. This is one of the highest monthly totals ever since July 2019 as per them. Process To Apply For H1-B Visa Dropbox Appointment Step 1: DS-160 The DS-160 is a non-immigrant US Visa Application available online. Is there a probability that we can get an earlier appointment or this is likely to be the first avaialble slot, Also, is there any other way through which we can extend her existing L2 visa. guidance given by the Head of US Consulates in India for the rest of 2022 and 2023. You will be asked to select a location for the visa stamping or interview when you start the DS-160 form. It is divided into sections with a summary, and timeline for easy review. He is likely eligible, if he meets other requirements. venky, You are right, if the applicant meets all the requirements, they are eligible for dropbox. They clarified again that B1/B2 dropbox is only available for anyone with previous B1/B2 visa expired within the last 48 months. did you get the visa stamped and how long did it take to get the passport? Keep checking. 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 Delhi dropbox/ regular appointments. Do you guys know what is the tentative dates available for dropbox? I have the same scenario, Does that mean its a yes for that answer? Worried if I take appointment in India and getting my passport in time without delay and not effecting my return travel to Singapore. Rohit, Whatever is accepted by the system, fill it out. SUBSCRIBE if you find this video even slightest of helpful to you.Telegram Group - https://t.me/dropbox_H1B_H4_visaupdatesHiMy name is NiharikaI like to con. Came back to India in June 2018. Can I get stamping for my dependants using my approved I797? I have submitted my USA B2 visa application.. My last H1B visa expired in Jan 2018 (more than 48 months). So, you would answer based on most recent one, which is from 2022 and approved. Currently I have an approved H1B petition and preparing to book appointment. You can carry either color printout or a black-and-white printout of your appointment letter/ confirmation page. You will need to click on the option that says Add by Name as it looks in the below screenshot. I am not able to see any slots. I also would like to understand the same. I have seen only 2 week ends after that never seen any slots availability. For full details check : During the week of Feb 7th, there was a video update given by US Embassy on the status of appointments and their focus for next months. June 13th, 2022: Below are the latest updates from June 1st, 2022 until now. I'm able to see dropbox availability across all sites. Gowtham, You only talk about most recent visa stamping as it clearly asks for it. Ive inquired with India support, they keep sending a general email and ask to go to the VAC at the scheduled time. US Consulates continue to say that the limited slots opened are exhausted in a very short amount of time. They will do Visa interviews on Saturdays across all consulates and embassy, Temporary Staff from Washington DC from Jan to March 2023 to clear the backlogs, Permanent increase in the number of consular officers assigned to India. The trick to cancellation is to find an open slot. I had got the Dropbox Appointment for 1st September 2022 for the H1B Visa for myself and H4 Visa for my dependents for Spouse and Daughter at the Kolkata VAC. 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. Thanks Sid. This is very sad my kid was so excited to meet his grandparents this summer. The appointment letter would have all the details related to the representative submission process. 20,000 New Dropbox Appointments Available In India In a welcome move, The US State Department has announced an additional 20,000 dropbox interview waiver appointment slots in various US consulates in India. Dropbox appointment available for New Delhi Vac for September 2022. thanks for the reply! H1B visa appointment availability. It is very normal. AM22Tech Team Updated 19 Oct, 22 US visa dropbox appointment made mandatory in India Listen to this article RedBus2US.com 2010 - 2023, All Rights Reserved. The previous one was help on July 29th, you can read the update on that below. Does it have a schedule like a specific day/time etc.? If not, you can enter the receipt number in the receipt number box and click continue, then it will show the below pop-up. The only way to check is to check using the questionnaire. Am I eligible for Dropbox in Singapore? Also, it will include changes to dropbox requirements in recent times during the pandemic. In 2021 my status changed from F1 to H1B with COS application. We have removed all the timeline of updates before January 2022 to keep the thread clean and up to date. when they do is it also available for reschedule ? Question 5: Was your most recent U.S. visa issued after January 1, 2008? For the H1B visa renewal does the 48 months eligibility still valid for an interview waiver? My appointment is at Chennai consulate and in my ds160 I entered the location for submitting documents as Chennai. Bala, Many of them booked around July, August time frame when they release lot of B2 slots. Is this normal? Insights. It looks like this, as in the below screenshot. Add your Dropbox Submission. This new option is valid until the end of 2023 ( Dec 31st, 2023). I am not sure why they asking for re-interview. Additional instructions like parking and other location-specific info would be listed on the confirmation letter. The below screenshots highlight the changes. Below is summary of the key answers from them. You can read the below updates in the timeline for the most recent updates. I wanted to apply for a drop-box appointment for myself and my wife. See our website for availability: https://t.co/92HvXCGbAh. You may add your H1B Dropbox details anonymously at US Visa Dropbox Stamping Tracker to get details on current processing time trends and for community benefit. If anyone travels without planning and a confirmed slot, they say that applicants need to be prepared to stay for an extended period of time in India. I want to go ahead & choose this option but not sure to provide incorrect information by No to the question Whether you held a previous US visa, September 2 slots available for Mumbai OFC appointment for visa stamping anyone interested can chk, people, delhi OFC showed 10 slots try now. Could you assist me with this. In the past, this question used to have an H1B visa in the question. If you are from other country, you should check your local US Consulate Website for updated information. Aug 20, 2021 0. Their status is just showing as cancelled. Now he want to visit india for visa stamping for the first time.can he get appointments? Read the latest official news summary at: You can check full updates at the below Facebook Post. Also, when you submit the DS-160 form, you will get a confirmation number. Next, you need to select the language of the interview that you plan to do if you have to go for an interview. Good news! H1B, H4, L, O, P and Q visa holders who meet certain criteria will get in-person interview waiver until end of 2023 ( Dec 31, 2023) .Also, F1, M, J visa holders who meet certain criteria would get in-person interview waiver until end of 2023 ( Dec 31, 2023). Yes, they have opened slots for first time B1/B2 applicants and started interview from September 1st week of 2022. This shows that the U.S. remains the most sought-after country for higher education. You should arrive at the time of your appointment. April 19th, 2022: On April 18th, 2022, US Consulate in Chennai hosted a Facebook Live Q & A session with Mr. Don Heflin, who is the head of the US Consulates in India. The process to apply for H1B Visa stamping using the dropbox or interview waiver option is not very different from the general visa renewal for other types of visas. They try to release bulk slots now and then so that they do not disappear immediatelyand again suggest to keep checking. H1B Visa 2023 Tracker US Visa Stamping Trackers US Visa Appointments USCIS Processing Times Visa Approvals Rates Login What's New on VisaGrader? No one knows. Application Final Action Date. US Embassy updated on Jun 24th saying that they opened more F1 Slots for students planning to be in the US by mid-August. There is no change in the guidance. Not just the recent one. You can check complete details about this change at US Visa Dropbox / Renewal VAC vs. IW Confusion, New Change. November 2nd, 2022: Below are the key updates from last week until now. Need to wait for summer. You can check more at Sample US Visa Dropbox Confirmation Letter India. As long as you have your I-797 approval valid and I-94 valid, you are fine. Recently they issued more than 250,000 B1/B2 appointments, Below is the screenshot of the press release. Thanks Kumar and I agree, I was just venting out. The consular officer will either issue or refuse the visa. You need to click the Drop-Off button at the bottom of the message to proceed with your interview waiver/ dropbox visa application. from the date i paid MRV, i am trying for their regular appointment slots, i see some dates for OFC when i proceed to next screen there are no dates available ( i tried for 4 consulate locations mumbai, hydrabad, chennai and also delhi), but i see same above response ofc dates i am able to slect and later screen no in-person appointment dates. You would get another screen that shows the below text with the next steps to follow, as shown in the below screenshot. Please confirm. Hyd dropbox slots - h1/h4. Is it fine with USA consulate to allow visa stamping on a passport which is going to expire in 6 months 10 days? Like Indian Time or US day time also we should keep checking slot? You can click on the use existing receipts button and then it takes you to the screen to book an appointment. The reality is that the employer name on US Visa is only an annotation added for reference of the CBP officer. If you are not eligible, then you call the customer service and split the profile to avoid issues. US Consulates to release 100K Appointments for H/L visa dropbox applicants for 2023. Will there be a problem with that? They are usually tweets or website updates from the US Consulate/ US Embassy. See below post, US Embassy had Visa Fridays on October 6th, 2022. Select the country and state of residence, You will get an option to select the country or state of your residence. No specific questions or updates were there for H1B, H4 or L Visas, They are increasing permanent staff assigned to Consulates and Embassy in India, They will be processing interview waiver cases remotely to clear up backlog, They will do interviews on Saturdays across all consulates and Embassy to reduce the wait times. Sometimes, it can take up to 3 weeks as well. Do the questionnaire on the CGI Federal Portal, it will tell you. Anyone in a similar situation successfully did visa stamping? US Consulates continue to be operating in full swing to clear the wait times with the recent measures announced in January 2023. Applicants scheduling visa appointments in a location different from their place of residence should check post websites for nonresident wait times. F1 Appointments for Fall 2022: US Embassy mentioned that they will give slots to students who did not interview before, instead of giving more slots for someone rejected. November 8th, 2022: US Embassy had Visa Fridays Q&A last week, below are the key updates from the same, including regular updates. YouTube Video on where & how to check for US Consulates openings, wait times. I added spouse and kids as a dependent as well, they never have any US visa nor any rejection. Hyderabad drop box updates. US Visa Stamping Passport Tracking Statuses meaning, H1B Visa Dropbox Process Step by Step Guide, Guide to Apply for Emergency Appointment in India. They are opening more H1B Slots, but due to the demand, they fill up quickly. I am still waiting for my dependants approval (Wife and kid). All they says is they will opened soon. I am trying to book appointment for first time tourist visa for my parents: 1. In the next step, you will be asked a few questions related to your H1B Visa Stamping status to check, if you are eligible for dropbox or not. At present, working in Singapore on Employment pass. There was no Visa Fridays Q&A by US Embassy in the last two weeks, which was supposed to be on March 11th and March 18th. They suggest checking the website for the availability of the slots. If your H1B visa was not approved by the US Consulate for some reason with the dropbox option, then you will be notified that your visa was not approved. As per them, they suggest not to cancel an in-person appointment. You can check the full requirements at, Also, in the past, during the pandemic in 2021, they extended, It was not lost or stolen (meaning, you did not lose your passport with your US Visa in it), It was not canceled or revoked (it could be for any reason like DUI, or by CBP, etc. 1. They said the slots would open up in batches in weeks leading to each student season. Do not worry too much, there is nothing you can do. To proceed with your interview waiver application Step 1. Update: In the past, the question used to say Was your most recent H-1B visa (temporary occupation, temporary worker or trainee) issued in