Chinese Students Unable to Obtain U.S. Visas on Time Due to Delay in Processing

It is a fact that the United States is being regarded as one of the most effective educational hubs throughout the world. Students who belong to different countries show an effective interest in accomplishing their study-related purposes from the United States. In this regard, it is essential to state that students of China are also interested in studying in the United States.

However, the main problem that they are facing is the dilemmas and delays in getting visas. Here, a discussion regarding the problem and its impact on students will be elaborated. First of all, it is essential to know about the reasons behind the delay in the U.S visa processing system, and the reasons are going to be highlighted in the following section.

Reasons behind the delays related to the U.S visa processing system

Due to Covid 19, several traveling barriers have been implemented. They can be regarded as an effective issue related to international students’ problems to reach to their preferred study-related destination. It is a fact that while all people who are applying for the visa of the United States are being screened before the issuance of the visa, some of these applicants are facing the requirement to be involved in further screening processes. It can be regarded as an adequate reason behind the delay that Chinese students face to get a United States visa.

In this regard, some issues are triggering the administrative departments. Inconsistent spelling of names and similarity between the names of different people are some issues related to the work of the administrative department. These issues are effective enough to cause delays regarding getting a visa from the United States. If the consulate is requesting the administrative processing, a person’s visa does not get issued until getting the clearance from Washington D.C. Generally; it takes 60 days. By considering this matter, it can be stated that these issues can delay the overall visa generation process significantly.

It is essential to state that most of the delays get cleared up within 30 to 60 days. By considering the statement provided by the Department of State, it has been possible to understand that requests to expedite processing get considered here. In this regard, the visa applicants must remember that each consulate has its own process required for handling inquiries and they are required to refer to the written notice provided by the consulate of the United States for obtaining information related to the inquiry process. Now, it is essential to know about the impact of this kind of dilemma on Chinese students. In the following section, a discussion regarding this matter is going to be elaborated.

Impact of the delay on Chinese students

By considering the statement provided by a NAFSA member interest group, it has been possible to understand that thousands of Chinese students are not getting the ability to go to the United States to accomplish their study just because of the delays and dilemmas related to the Visa processing system. It is working as a barrier related to their career development path. Sometimes, this kind of delay and dilemma can cause a student who has a compelling interest in accomplishing study from the United States to become less motivated. By considering the issues these students face, a petition has been launched and describes the “Chinese F1 student visa crisis for 2021 2022 school year”.

By considering the visa viewpoint, it can be stated that the U.S. F1 visa services have been closed for more than 13 months in communist countries. It has also been stated that hundreds per thousands of F1 visa applications are facing unexpected delays. The petition has also highlighted another concern by stating that even if universities and schools were to return to on-campus learning fully, students from China are not getting the chance to get their U.S visas on time. This matter is showing that these students are not getting the chance to start university learning on time. In other words, it can be stated that their overall academic journey is getting affected just because of the Visa related issues.

In this regard, the chief learning officer at WholeRen Group and vice-chair of NAFSA China MIG has stated that the Chinese student’s visa processing system has been closed for 13 months. By considering this person’s viewpoint, it can be stated that the United States consulates are not offering F1 visa appointments in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenyang. However, it is expected that the United States government would take some steps by considering the issues that the Chinese students are facing. In the following section, a discussion regarding the steps they are taking in this regard will be highlighted.

Steps that are being taken by considering the issue

By considering the issue, Sarah Spreitzer, the Director of government reactions at the American Council on Education, has stated that they are concerned about the issue and are also very concerned about the ability of international students to travel to this country for the accomplishment of the study related purposes. The person has also stated that they have asked the U.S. state department and the Department of Homeland security. They have asked the departments to take action. In this regard, waving interview requirements for F1 visa applications can be regarded as an effective solution.

Apart from that, it has also been stated that if consulates become unable to prioritize the processing of student visa applications, then further steps would be taken by considering the situational requirements. In this regard, the Biden administration would be pressed,

It is a fact that talented students across the globe are essential to any country. The United States is expected to overcome the dilemma within the shortest possible time. It is expected that Chinese students will get adequate chances to start studying in the United States without facing any severe dilemma. The problems they face due to the visa processing system issues are expected to be solved effectively so that their career development path would be paved.