Rude F-1 Rejections Continue Amid Visa Freeze

Indian F-1 visa aspirants who already had their interviews scheduled before Trump froze further appointments were expected to go under a higher level of scrutiny.

But with more cases of instant rejections coming in, one wonders if the guideline to visa officers is to implement more scrutiny or just reject them straight away.

An applicant who recently gave his interview at the Chennai consulate was denied a visa after being asked just one question: “How many universities did you apply to, and what all did you get?”

He had applied to 4 and got admission only to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Despite being a well-known and respected school, there was no follow-up or clarification; just a flat-out rejection.

As Trump’s visa freeze takes effect, many consulates have slowed down or paused student visa interviews. But what’s worse is that those lucky enough to still have an interview are facing strange, abrupt denials, sometimes even due to minor things like having a sibling in the US, or not receiving multiple admission offers.

For Indian students planning to study in the US, the road just got bumpier. Be prepared for tougher questions, more scrutiny, and sadly, more rejections, no matter how solid your profile looks.