Just as one door opened, another slammed shut.
After weeks of panic, F-1 student visa slots have finally reopened. But now, it’s the H-1B applicants who are left refreshing their screens in despair.
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Until June 15, thousands of H-1B Dropbox slots were visible at the Chennai consulate. Dates from July to September were all available. But on June 17, everything vanished.
There was no warning or official explanation and applicants are left wondering where thousands of slots disappeared.
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Fellow H-1B applicants suggest such sudden disappearances have happened before. Usually, it’s linked to backend updates or appointment reshuffles. But in an election year with Trump in charge, nothing feels routine anymore.
Just last month, the US State Department froze F-1 visa scheduling to implement stricter social media screening. That freeze was finally lifted on June 18, but only after students and universities raised alarm bells.
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Now H-1B applicants are wondering whether they are next in line. However, some users online assure others that this is just a temporary pause.
Will the slots return in a few days? Or is this another silent crackdown dressed up as “technical maintenance”? For now, all anyone can do is keep waiting and refreshing the US Visa Scheduling page.
