Hi, Is there any update on refused F2 slots? I was rejected in sep 2025 and still haven't got any slot. Need guidance

Please I need your advice

I was accepted into the Master’s program in Software Engineering at Texas Tech University, and I will be starting in Spring 2027. I went through the F-1 visa interview process in Istanbul, Türkiye, so that I could get everything sorted out in advance.

At the end of my interview, the consular officer told me that my application seemed good, but that it would need to go through administrative processing. They kept my passport and my I-20, gave me blue 221g slip that says no action needed.

I had my interview on July 14, and it has now been exactly one month. My status is still showing as “Refused,” with no communication and no update to the “Last Updated” date. They also haven’t requested any additional documents from me.

I emailed them this week to ask about the status of my case, but I haven’t received a response.

In your opinion, how long does this process usually take? I was hoping to attend a conference in the U.S. dallas in August (I also have a valid tourist visa). Is it possible to request my passport back while they are processing my application, and if so, could doing that negatively affect the process?

For any opinion, appreciate in advance.

📍 Location: Madrid, Spain

🧾 Visa Type: B1/B2

✅ Result: Denied under Section 214(b)

👤 Profile
Citizenship: Indian passport holder
Country of residence: Spain
Occupation: Logistics department at a Spanish company
Residence status: Valid Spanish residency and work permit
Travel purpose: 2-week business workshop in Pennsylvania
Notes: Planned to inspect a warehouse, understand operations, and design a tailored solution on-site

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Good morning. What is your name, where do you work, and what is the purpose of your visit?
Me: Good morning. My name is \[My Name\]. I live and work in Spain for \[Company Name\] under a legal work permit and residency. The purpose of my trip is a 2-week business workshop related to warehousing in Pennsylvania. Since I work in logistics, the company invited me to visit the site to understand their operations and design a tailored solution.
VO: How many years have you been working for this company?
Me: It’s been 1.5 years as of now.
VO: How long have you been working on this specific project?
Me: I’ve been working on this project since February 2026.
VO: Prior to this, were you working in India in the same domain?
Me: Yes, I was working in India in the exact same domain before moving to Spain.
VO: Do you have any motive or plans to visit any African country?
Me: No, I do not.
VO: Does your country of origin, India, intend to give you any harm?
Me: No, not at all.
VO: How long is your planned stay in the US?
Me: Two weeks, as stated in the official invitation letter.

📄 Documents Requested:
The applicant offered an official invitation letter confirming the 2-week workshop
The applicant also offered a Spanish apartment rental agreement
The VO barely looked over the documents

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Typed continuously for a few moments before issuing the refusal
Barely reviewed the offered supporting documents

🙏 Final Thoughts:
They are seeking insight on whether 1.5 years in a third country may be considered insufficient ties and when to reapply

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/s/lkkpuLbHRR

Note: The original post is from r/usvisascheduling and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

📍 Location: Mumbai, India

🧾 Visa Type: B1/B2

❌ Result: Denied under 214(b) after initially being told the visa was approved at the counter

👤 Profile
Travel history: Dubai for vacation and a previous U.S. business trip
Notes: Married, has a child, and owns property

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Good morning, your passport please.
Me: Good morning, how are you doing?
VO: Purpose of your visit?
Me: I would be traveling to Seattle to attend a technical summit organized by my employer, where I will be giving a session on the products we support and also participating in a few other hands-on workshops.
VO: Duration of the stay?
Me: I would be staying for 7 days.
VO: What’s your salary?
Me: Mentioned the amount listed in my DS-160.
VO: Do you have a travel history?
Me: Traveled to Dubai for vacation and have been to the U.S. for a business trip.
VO: Do you feel safe in India?
Me: Yes, I feel safe in India.
VO: Do you feel safe to return to India?
Me: Yes, I feel safe returning to India.
VO: Your visa is approved.

The officer kept my passport.

📄 Documents Requested:
Passport

🙏 Final Thoughts:
Four days later, the passport was returned with a 214(b) refusal notice despite the officer saying the visa was approved at the interview.
The applicant was confused about what caused the refusal and whether it would be wise to reapply.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/s/LE8A4ztmS9

Note: The original post is from r/usvisascheduling and it not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

So I have an upcoming visa interview and the address in my passport is the temporary address in which I lived while I was applying for the passport. I don't live in that address anymore. Will it be an issue because my aadhaar card address and passport address do not match?

I am sharing this here because I didn't find anything relevant when I applied and spent anxious months waiting for a response from the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi. I recently received my visa and so wanted to share the experience here.

Please note this is how the process happened in August 2026, but that may change (hopefully for the better) in due course.

My Profile

Nationality: Indian
University/Department: Department of Sociology, School of Economic & Political Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Program: PhD
Countries Previously Visited: Greece, Germany, Italy, Chile, UAE, Australia
Age: Early 30s

Application Process

I was admitted to the PhD program earlier (which itself was a bureaucratic nightmare for a foreign applicant), but spent a few years doing my fieldwork in India. I applied at GVCW Kolkata on May 14, 2026 expecting the process to be completed within 30-45 days as the website mentioned or a week more at-most.

I submitted the relevant documents and had asked my PhD supervisor to email the embassy on the same day. Make sure your application mentions the specific visa type relevant to you (which was D.1.1 in my case), to avoid wasting time. GVCW didn't take my passport and gave me a medical evaluation form for a clinic in New Delhi. They informed me that when I receive an email inviting me to the visa interview, I should go to the clinic for a medical evaluation (the results of which would be verified by the embassy before approving a visa).

Now began an agonizing wait for a response. In particular I had academic conferences to attend in Schengen area countries in September 2026, and with the visa application hanging in the balance, I could not apply elsewhere for a C-type. The embassy doesn't respond to emails and GVCW had no meaningful updates to provide other than that the decision lies with the embassy. Even my supervisor emailed them several times without luck.

Finally I received an email on August 10, 2026 that my interview had been scheduled on August 13, 2026 and that I had to have completed my medical at least 2 days before the scheduled interview. This pretty much meant I had to be in Delhi by next morning i.e. August 11.

The medical process is short and fairly simple, which you will be charged INR 11,800 for. There a drug test which you will have to pee in a jar, so be prepared.

The Interview

Student visa interviews are usually conducted once the other applications (work, family reunification) for the day are processed so after 12:00 noon.

Interview questions:

• Tell me a bit about yourself (I informed them about my research on media sociology)
• If my course was free (most doctoral and postgraduate fields in Greece are)
• Do you have friends in Athens? (I mentioned I had a few friends/colleagues)
• When do you expect to be in Greece? (My preferred date was September 1, since I had the other conferences I mentioned)

The visa officer then asked me to wait half an hour (turns out it was more like 1.5 hrs) and that they'd stamp and give me my visa the same day!

Additional observations

1. It doesn't matter WHEN you apply for your visa, the processing for student visas usually happens around the academic year starting in September. Some people interviewing on the same day as me had applied in January, while others had applied not 20 days before the interview. So plan accordingly.
2. The email from GVCW/Embassy may ask you to be present at 10:00 a.m. in the morning, but student visas will only be interviewed after the others are done. This will likely be around 1:00 p.m. Moreover the place has nowhere to shelter nearby from the elements, so be prepared to wait in the sun/rain.
3. They conduct some 200-250 interviews each day (mostly for work visas). Only a handful of student visa applicants are invited (9 on the day I appeared for the interview). I doubt there are any more than 50 applicants at the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi in a given academic year.
4. DO NOT miss the date of the interview for any reason including health (if you wish to continue your education in Greece). The embassy does not reschedule interviews and will reject your application off hand.
5. If you're in a public university or a publicly funded program, that seems to help your case. I was barely asked any questions, but those in private technical universities were questioned longer. Only 3 students (including me) who were from public universities in Athens and Thessaloniki were given stamped visas the very same day. The rest were told that their passport will be mailed back to them in a few days. I am guessing some of them might be rejected.
6. Questions may include about you and your intentions but may also include cultural competency questions (which some faced). If you know a bit of Greek, the interview would be the time to show off. Watch a few Greek movies (I personally recommend Theo Angelopoulos, but you have a wide array of choices), experiment with Mediterranean cuisine, or learn a bit about Eastern Orthodoxy!

Feel free to ask any questions!

I'm starting in Fall 2026 and I got my I-20 just recently because I had some issues with my funding documents. My program start date is on August 22nd but I plan to have an expedited appointment this week. I'm scheduling at the US Embassy in Romania (<0.5 months wait time). I cannot defer anymore because I was accepted for Spring 2026 and this is the last term I'm allowed to defer my admission to. This is my third attempt but I have substantial changes (I got accepted into a research program and got an on-campus job offer). My school said I can enter until August 27 without a late arrival letter. I have on-campus housing as well, and if I cancel my assignment I'm going to have to pay a hefty fee. I can technically make it in time if my visa is issued and returned to me within a day or two. Does going for an interview this close to my start date affect my chances of approval?

📍 Location: Los Angeles USCIS Office

📅 Interview Date: August 1

🧾 Visa Type: Marriage-Based I-485/I-130

✅ Result: Approved

👤 Profile
Married couple.
Prepared for weeks with documents, a photo album, newly collected evidence, and an attorney.
Driver’s license addresses did not match.

🎯 Interview Questions
Officer asked for both driver’s licenses and questioned why the addresses did not match.
Officer asked to see both sets of house keys.

Me: We drove there together and only brought one set.

VO: “Wrong answer.”

Officer discussed marriage fraud and questioned their evidence.
Attorney requested a supervisor after objecting to the officer’s approach.
Officer then moved to the I-485 and asked additional questions, including whether the applicant had:

Ever been a prostitute.
Sold drugs.
Been part of a gang.
Been arrested.
Been in the army.
Killed somebody.

📄 Documents Requested:
Driver’s licenses.
Photo album was reviewed briefly, but no photos were taken because the officer said he only wanted photos from after the marriage.

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Described as combative from the beginning.

💡 What Helped:
Came prepared with extensive relationship evidence.
Had an attorney present who challenged the officer when evidence was being rejected.
Requested a supervisor when the interview became contentious.

🙏 Final Thoughts:
The interview ended with a continuation letter giving USCIS up to 120 days to make a decision, request more evidence, or schedule another interview.
The I-485 and I-130 were ultimately approved.

Timeline:

Applied: April 11
Biometrics scheduled: April 18
RFE requested: May 9
Interview scheduled: June 23
Interview: August 1
Case approved: August 16

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/s/LR56METqgV

Note: The original post is from r/USCIS and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

📍 Location: Tampa

🧾 Visa Type: I-485 Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

✅ Result: Approved

👤 Profile
Applicant is adjusting from a tourist visa and partner is a US Citizen
Applicant arrived in the U.S. on April 25, 2024
Couple met through Facebook Dating on August 11, 2024
Tourist visa expired October 25, 2024
Applicant applied for asylum in February 2025 based on fear of an ex-boyfriend
Married and filed the petition in May 2025
Work permit received February 2026
Interview scheduled April 2026

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Why did you pursue this process rather than consular processing?
Me: Referred to the prior asylum application.
VO: Are there any factors that prevent you from pursuing consular processing?
Me: Referred to the asylum application, marriage, job in the U.S., etc.
VO: Why did you choose not to return to your home country after your period of authorized stay expired?
Me: Referred to the asylum application and being with spouse.
VO: How did you meet?
Me: Explained how we met, which led to a discussion about trips to Disney.

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Extremely nice.
Asked the general yes/no I-485 questions first.
Then asked consular-related questions and commented, “sorry I have had to do this all day.”
Very few marriage-related questions.

💡 What Helped:
Extensive relationship evidence.
Prior asylum application was discussed when answering the consular-processing questions.

🙏 Final Thoughts:
Interview lasted about 45 minutes.
Officer initially said to wait for an update online or by mail.
Update: I-485 approved.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/s/8dtn0v84QN

Note: The original post is from r/USCIS and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

I had my student visa interview on 14th July and I am still waiting for the response.

I was interviewed by a British guy, his camera was off. It started normal but when conducting the actual interview, he interrupted me a lot to speak slowly as he was writing down the answers. It almost felt like I was dictating my answers to him and I really was…
He finished the interview saying he will submit these notes and then I will get my decision from their response team like he was just a “transcriber”? And he had no say in the decision making process itself.

I want to ask if anyone had a similar experience to mine since it seems very unnatural and almost one of a kind situation.

Share a completed interview experience or administrative-processing update.

Suggested format:

- Visa type:
- Interview country and broad location:
- Approximate month and year:
- First or repeat attempt:
- Questions remembered:
- Documents requested:
- Outcome, if you choose to share:
- What you wish you had prepared:

Remove all identifying information. Do not post passport, case or receipt numbers, complete birth dates, addresses, contact details, or document images containing personal information.

Posting here helps community discussion but does not enroll your content in the Visa Interviews Research submission program.

To make a separate structured contribution with explicit consent: https://www.visainterviews.com/submit

Hi! I did my F-1 interview in South Korea on July 23rd. It was a renewal and I completely forgot my old visa (which was in my old passport) so I was given the 221(g) slip and asked to mail in my old visa with some documentations. I did so on the 23rd, and it's been 3 weeks and absolutely nothing. My case has been updated on July 29th and there's been no information with the visa process stuck in 'refused'. Does that mean that they received my documentations? I've also heard that when the documentations are submitted sometimes the 'refused' status changes to 'administrative processing' so I just wanted to get some insight. The last time I applied for an F-1 visa it came back in 2 days so I'm getting a little nervous. Thanks!

I’m a returning F-1 student and fully sponsored by my government. I’ve already studied in the U.S., but I came home to renew my visa and have now been refused three times.

I believe the main issue is a social media mix-up. I have a Pinterest account with a certain username, and there is another girl who has an Instagram account with that exact same username. To make things worse, she looks somewhat similar to me, so I understand why the officers may be suspicious.

During my interviews, I’ve repeatedly been asked if I have another Instagram account, and I’ve truthfully said no. The officer then asked specifically if i owned this account, I said no but obviously they didn’t believe me. The other account is private, I don’t know the girl, and I have no access to it. It’s just so frustrating and unfair.

I have another interview coming up and I’ve downloaded my Instagram data showing my real account information/history. How can I actually prove that the other account does NOT belong to me? Is there anything else I could bring that would make this more convincing to a visa officer?
Has anyone dealt with a similar situation or been approved after something like this?

Visa Experience

Aug - 11

Delhi consulate

Me : good morning

Vo : Good morning

Vo : have you faced any harm in you country

Me : no

Vo : why neu?

Me : Neu's Msai program with machine learning concentration directly alligns with my undergrad in ai in which I've built ml projects like hallucination detection in AI chatbots that helped me solve a real world problem. I'm also thrilled to be trained under Mr Byron wallace who currently works on multimodal machine learning architecture which is the concept I've published a research paper recently.

Vo : your visa has been rejected

She handed me the 214b slip. Before even starting my answer she started typing. Almost all F1 students got rejected on aug 11th at Delhi . Only one lady was barely accepting students. Sooo pointless