Students planning to study in the United States this Fall are once again expressing concerns over the availability of F-1 visa appointments, with a Reddit thread pointing to growing anxiety around visa interview slots and refusals.
In a post titled "F1 Visa slots in India Update for Fall 2026 Intake!", the user asked fellow applicants to share whether they were first-time applicants or previously refused candidates and whether they were currently able to book visa appointments.
"Whoever is reading, could you guys please comment like what is actually happening... Are you guys even able to see any slots?" the user wrote, adding that frequent reports of F-1 refusals and administrative processing under Section 221(g) had left applicants "too confusing and scary."
The post asked users to identify themselves as fresh applicants or previously refused candidates, along with whether they were applying for bachelor's or master's programs and the date of any previous refusal.
Reddit users claim no F-1 visa slots are visible
One of the most-discussed comments on the thread claimed that applicants who were refused an F-1 visa in 2025 may not be able to see new appointment slots until a year has passed.
{{/usCountry}}One of the most-discussed comments on the thread claimed that applicants who were refused an F-1 visa in 2025 may not be able to see new appointment slots until a year has passed.
{{/usCountry}}"In the Indian context if you're REFUSED on say June 20th 2025... then you can see the slots only after 365 days," the commenter wrote.
The user further claimed that applicants refused in August 2025 could only view appointment calendars from August 2026 onwards, depending on when new slots were released.
The same commenter also alleged that there were "NO SLOTS IN ANY CATEGORY F-1, B2, O-1, H1B etc."
However, these claims are based on user experiences shared on Reddit and have not been independently verified by Hindustan Times.
Earlier reports showed F-1 visa slots disappearing within minutes
The discussion comes weeks the US had resumed releasing F-1 visa appointments following months of limited activity linked to enhanced social media vetting.
At the time, education experts noted that appointments were being released in batches but were being booked within minutes due to high demand.
Students were also advised to avoid repeatedly refreshing the visa portal, as doing so could trigger temporary access restrictions, and to keep all required documents, including the DS-160 confirmation page and Form I-20, ready before attempting to book an appointment.