Visa Appointment Updates: Recent Changes and Next Steps
Dear Incoming International Students,
We want to update you on a recent development from the U.S. Department of State. As of yesterday, the State Department has temporarily paused the scheduling of new visa appointments while it reviews procedures for social media screening as part of the visa application process.
Although social media vetting has been in place since 2019, the scope of the new process and how long this temporary pause will last is not yet clear. At this time, we understand that this pause does not affect visa appointments that have already been scheduled.
In the meantime, we recommend the following:
- If you already have a visa interview scheduled, proceed as planned.
- If you have not yet scheduled your appointment, continue checking the consulate website regularly and book an appointment as soon as one becomes available.
- Keep your School or academic program informed about the status of your visa application. Penn will work flexibly with students who experience arrival delays due to visa processing.
We recognize that this situation may cause concern, and we want to assure you that we are monitoring developments closely. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Rudie Altamirano, ISSS Executive Director, at rudiea@upenn.edu.
We are here for you—and we look forward to welcoming you to Penn soon.
Sincerely,
Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives
Amy Gadsden, Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives