On June 18, ISSS sent the following message regarding entry visa appointments in follow up to the May 28 message regarding entry visa appointment issues:
On May 28, International Student and Scholar Services e-mailed you with information that the U.S. Department of State had issued a pause on scheduling new visa interviews for F and J visas. On June 18, news outlets in the U.S. began reporting that U.S. Department of State has issued a cable to consular officers stating that they can resume scheduling these visa interviews.
You should be aware that each individual embassy and consulate worldwide may have different appointment availability. The time required for consular officers to conduct the new social media screening requirements may decrease appointment availability. If you plan to leave the U.S. and need to renew your expired F-1 or J-1 entry visa, you should take this into account as you assess your own comfort level with international travel.
Although ISSS cannot advise on the entry visa application process, we remain committed to providing you with these important updates as we receive them.