If you’re applying for the F-1 Visa in India, you are required to schedule and attend two visa appointments:

1. VAC (Biometrics) Appointment

2. Consular (Interview) Appointment

However, some F-1 Visa applicants are eligible to submit their visa application at a Visa Application Center (VAC) and proceed without appearing for a consular interview appointment.

What is a dropbox appointment?

Regular F-1 Visa appointments require applicants to make two trips: one to a Visa Application Center for biometrics, and the second to a US Embassy or Consulate to interview with a visa officer.

F-1 Visa seekers who are eligible for dropbox appointments can avoid having to attend an in-person visa appointment by simply dropping off their visa application documents at specific Visa Application Centers on their dropbox appointment date.

Am I eligible for a dropbox appointment?

If you are seeking the F-1 Visa in India and can answer “yes” to all of the questions listed below, you would qualify and be eligible for a dropbox appointment:

• I have a previous U.S. visa in the same class as the visa for which I wish to apply

• My most recent visa was issued in India

• I received my visa after January 1, 2008

• My prior visa is not annotated “Clearance Received” or “Department Authorization”

• My most recent visa (in the same class for which I am applying) was issued on or after my 14th birthday

• My most recent visa (in the same class for which I am applying) was not lost/stolen or canceled

• I have no refusals for a visa in any class after my most recent visa issuance

Note: Visa applicants who plan to continue as a student at the same school for which their previous F-1 Visa was issued, are eligible for a dropbox appointment at a VAC location in India.

For example, if you held a F-1 Visa on your Indian passport, completed your undergraduate program at Emory University, and now plan to enroll at Emory University for a graduate level program, and need to renew your F-1 Visa - you are eligible for a F-1 Visa dropbox appointment. However, if you completed your undergraduate program at Emory University, and plan to enroll at another US college/university, you will not be eligible for a dropbox appointment to renew your F-1 Visa.

December 2021 Proclamation

COVID-19 has affected visa appointment availability across VAC locations as well as US Embassy and Consulates in India. Per the U.S Department of State announcement on December 23rd, 2021 on the travel.state.gov website, certain students seeking the F-1 Visa are eligible for visa interview waivers with the US Embassy or Consulate. 

If you previously held any US visa (tourist visa included), you will be eligible for a dropbox appointment in India. It varies case by case, but some first-time F-1 Visa seekers who were previously issued other US visas before 14 years of age may be requested by the US Embassy or Consulate to visit a VAC location in India to submit their biometrics information. 

Document Checklist for F-1 Visa Dropbox Appointments (India)

Download this document checklist to quickly reference which documents you must submit to a Visa Application Center (VAC location) in India for your F-1 Visa Dropbox Appointment. Whether you’re a first-time F-1 Visa applicant (eligible for a dropbox appointment given the December 2021 proclamation) or you’re renewing your F-1 Visa, this checklist will help you submit the necessary visa application documents.

View Checklist

What do I do on the day of my dropbox appointment?

You must ensure to neatly file your visa application documents in a folder along with your original passport. Visa applicants are strongly encouraged to photocopy all pages of original passport(s) to maintain personal records before submitting the passport(s) to the Visa Application Center.

Double check your documents, and on the date of your dropbox appointment, you must appear at the VAC location you chose for your appointment to drop-off your visa application documents. A VAC employee will review your documents to ensure you are submitting a complete application. If you are missing any documents, you will be asked to come back to the VAC location on the same day with the missing documents. Failure to provide the necessary documentation will disqualify you from an interview waiver.

Visa Application Center (VAC) Locations for Dropbox Appointments in India 

Delhi
Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, Concourse Level,
Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi - 110001

Mumbai
Parinee Crescenzo, 101, 1st Floor, A Wing, G Block,
Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai - 400051 

Chennai
Good shepherd, No 82, Kodambakkam High Road,
Nungambakkam, Chennai – 600034 

Hyderabad
1-8-384/385, Ground Floor, Gowra Grand S.P. Road,
Begumpet, Secunderabad, Hyderabad - 500003 

Kolkata
Jasmine Tower 31, Shakespeare Sarani (1st Floor),
Kolkata - 700017 

Chandigarh
Elante Offices, Gate 3, Unit B-208, 2nd Floor, Block B, Plot No 178-178A,
Industrial & Business Park, Phase 1, Chandigarh – 160002 

Jalandhar
Aman Plaza, 3rd floor, 310 Lajpat Nagar, Nakodar Chowk,
Jalandhar, Punjab - 144001 

Ahmedabad
Gujarat Chambers Building, Shri Ambika Mills Ashram Road,
Ahmedabad - 380009 

Pune
F Core, Marvel Edge, 4th Floor, Viman Nagar,
Pune - 411014 

Bengaluru
Unit No.: 305, Level 3, Second Floor, Prestige Atrium,
No.1 Central Street, Bengaluru – 560001 

Kochi
1st Floor Coastal Chambers Opp. Mercy Hotel,
M.G Road Ravipuram, Kochi - 682015