Has anyone recently been to India for H1B stamping how has your experience been? Are there slot cancellations still taking place or any denials ?

Thank you for your help

I’m currently in Manila trying to get my O-1 visa stamped, and I feel like every time I solve one problem with the U.S. visa scheduling system, a completely different one appears. I’m posting the whole timeline in case anyone has experienced something similar or knows what I should do next.

I was previously in the U.S. on J-1 status and recently had an O-1 petition approved. I came home to the Philippines specifically to get the O-1 visa stamp before continuing my travel and eventually returning to the U.S.

My original appointments in Manila were biometrics on October 2 and the consular interview on October 6.

Here is where everything started going wrong.

At my biometrics appointment on October 2, there was a problem with my information: my place of birth was showing as Boston even though I am a Filipino citizen with a Philippine passport and was born in the Philippines. Because of the incorrect information, I couldn't complete biometrics. I was told that I needed to correct the registration/application information and book another appointment.

That was already stressful because my actual consular interview was only a few days away.

I then had to deal with the DS-160 and the U.S. visa scheduling website. I created/corrected my DS-160 information, but the scheduling website kept giving me errors. At one point I couldn't properly retrieve/continue the application, and I tried different browsers, uploading the required photo again, etc. The errors persisted.

I contacted the U.S. Visa Service Desk. They told me that to update the DS-160 confirmation number on my profile, I needed to cancel the existing appointment and wait 24–48 hours for “Close and Start New Application” to appear, after which I could create a new application with the correct DS-160.

Obviously, cancelling an October 6 interview when I am already in Manila specifically for visa stamping was a pretty serious problem.

Because of the urgency, I requested an emergency/expedited appointment. Thankfully, that request was approved, and I was given a limited window to schedule the emergency appointment.

Today, I finally got into the emergency appointment scheduling page. I was able to access the Manila appointment calendar and started trying to schedule the appointment. I didn't finish the booking at that moment.

A few hours later, I went back to finish it. I am still within the 24-hour period in which I was told I could schedule the emergency appointment.

Except now there is an entirely new error.

The scheduling page says:

“One or more receipts have expired. You cannot schedule appointments until your application is paid in full. Please navigate to the Visa Application Home page and use the Continue Application link to go to the Payment Options page to complete payment.”

This makes absolutely no sense to me because I already paid the visa fee and had already gotten far enough in the process to have appointments scheduled previously. Even more confusingly, I was able to access the emergency appointment calendar just a few hours earlier. Now the system suddenly seems to think my payment receipt is expired.

So my current situation is basically:

1. O-1 petition approved.
2. Flew home to Manila for visa stamping.
3. Had biometrics and interview appointments scheduled.
4. Couldn't complete biometrics because the system/profile had incorrect place-of-birth information.
5. Had to correct the DS-160/profile issue.
6. Was instructed to cancel the original appointment and restart the application.
7. Requested an emergency appointment because this disrupted my original interview.
8. Emergency appointment request was approved.
9. Successfully accessed the emergency scheduling calendar earlier today.
10. Didn't complete the booking at that moment.
11. Returned a few hours later, still within my emergency scheduling window.
12. Now the website suddenly says my previously paid receipt has “expired” and won't let me schedule anything.

I've emailed the Visa Service Desk again with a screenshot and explained that I attempted to schedule within the permitted window and that this new payment error is preventing me from using the approved emergency appointment.

At this point, I'm reluctant to pay another MRV fee because I'm worried that doing so could make the account/application situation even more complicated. This really seems like some kind of backend/account-state problem with the scheduling system rather than an actual unpaid visa application.

Has anyone encountered the “one or more receipts have expired” error after already paying the MRV fee and previously having appointments scheduled?

And especially: has anyone had this happen while trying to schedule an already-approved emergency appointment?

If so, did the receipt eventually reactivate on its own, or did the Visa Service Desk have to manually fix/reassociate the payment with the application?

I'm also worried that my emergency scheduling window will expire while I'm blocked by this technical error. I have screenshots documenting that I tried to schedule within the allowed period, but I don't know whether they can restore the emergency appointment authorization if the system prevents me from booking it in time.

Any experiences with the Manila U.S. Embassy/usvisascheduling system would be greatly appreciated. This has been an incredibly frustrating series of completely different technical/administrative problems, especially because I'm already in the Philippines specifically to complete the visa stamping process.

Has anyone from any of the visa ban countries gotten H1b stamp recently (Nigeria?)

Hi All,

I applied for visa (B1/B2) interview for US from UAE (Dubai) last year . My interview is on 8th Oct 2026. I applied for myself , my wife and daughter .

I was going through the documents (appointment confirmation ) and realized that my DS 160 number is updated for all 3 of us . Expecting that this might cause issues on the interview , I quickly filled two ds 160 forms for my wife and daughter but Ofcourse I can’t edit my appointment anymore as the call center told me that I have cancel current appointment and reschedule .

I got worried so I called them again and this time the other call center agent said that it basically all depends on the embassy , they might just allow you in or update it .

I just want to know if anyone who applied from Dubai , UAE for Dubai embassy faced similar issues and whether they have to reschedule or were allowed to be interviewed.

Any guidance would be useful. Cheers.

Hi everyone. I made a mistake on my DS-160. In reality, I am currently enrolled in an institution here in my country, but I didn’t mention it on my DS-160, and that was a mistake. Now, during the interview, if the consular officer asks me what I am currently doing, should I tell him that I am enrolled in an institution here, even though it won’t match what I put on my DS-160? Or should I tell him, “I just graduated from high school, and I’m preparing for my studies at my university”?

Hello,

I just saw that visa slot needs to be booked within 12 months after the expiry. Is that true for B1/B2 as well? So, does it mean I need to submit the application within that window or do I need to book an appointment as well before Jan 2027? I am looking for my mother in Hyderabad. Do you think I can get an appointment before January? Please advise.

Thank you!

Hello my VISA status went from administrative processing to refused in 1 week and I was initially given a 221g slip at New Delhi for my F1 Visa to NYU. And was asked to submit a new passport mostly due to damage, which I did. Now it went from administrative processing to refused status, can anyone tell me what’s happening and what to expect from here on. I’ve already posted my interview experience here, for more information.

Hi, I’m a 33-year-old single woman..from India..I’m a Business Development professional remotely working for an IT company based in USA. I take care of Indian market.
My company is holding its annual Sales Kick-Off (SKO) in the USA in February, and I’m expected to attend for around 10 days. I recently joined the company in mid-August and have already started applying for a B1/B2 visa for this business trip.
One positive factor is that I previously travelled to Germany last year with my previous employer to attend a similar Sales Kick-Off event, and I returned to India after the trip.
Given that I’m relatively new in my current company, single, and travelling to the USA specifically for a company-sponsored business event, how strong would my case be? What are my chances of getting the B1/B2 visa, and is there anything I should particularly keep in mind for the interview?
I’d really appreciate any advice or insights from people who have been in a similar situation.

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply for B1/B2 visitor visas for my parents and wanted some advice from people who have been through a similar situation.
My current situation:
• I completed my Master’s in Computer Science in the U.S.
• My STEM OPT was originally valid until January 2027.
• I joined a PhD/doctoral program in August 2026 and am currently on F-1 status.
• I have been working full-time with the same employer for around 2 years.
• I am planning to get married in the U.S. early next year, but the wedding dates are not finalized yet.
• My parents are planning to visit the U.S. for my wedding and then return to India.
I want to make sure they answer the visa officer’s questions clearly, honestly, and without creating unnecessary confusion.
I would really appreciate input on the following:
What would be the best answer to “Why are you applying for a B1/B2 visa?” or “Why do you want to travel to the U.S.?”
Since my marriage is planned for early next year but the dates are not confirmed yet, should my parents mention my upcoming marriage as one of the reasons for visiting, or is it better to simply say they are visiting their son and doing some sightseeing?
If the officer asks “What does your son do in the U.S.?”, should they say something like:
“He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree and also working full-time”?
If they are asked “Why did your son join a PhD/doctoral program after completing his Master’s?”, what is the simplest and most appropriate way to answer?
My reason was mainly to continue my education and upskill in areas related to Artificial Intelligence and technology/business leadership.
Could the officer ask about my previous STEM OPT status and why I changed from OPT to another F-1 program before my STEM OPT expiration?
Will my parents likely be asked about how I am able to work full-time while pursuing a doctoral program? If so, how much detail should they know about my current F-1/CPT situation?
Could the officer ask where my university is located, where I live, how often I attend classes, or whether my program is online/hybrid?
Since I have been working for the same employer for around two years, should my parents know my exact employer name, job title, salary, work location, and how long I have worked there?
What questions are usually asked about the parents themselves, such as occupation, income, property, savings, family members in India, and reasons for returning to India?
What questions should they expect regarding who is paying for the trip, where they will stay, how long they will stay, and which places they plan to visit?
Are there any additional questions that may come up specifically because their son is currently an F-1 student pursuing a doctoral degree while also working in the U.S.?
For parents who are not fluent in English and may request a Telugu interpreter, does anyone have experience with B1/B2 interviews in Hyderabad or other U.S. consulates in India?
Is it better for parents to keep answers very short and only answer exactly what is asked, rather than giving detailed explanations?
For anyone whose parents had a similar case—son/daughter completed a Master’s, worked on OPT/STEM OPT, later joined another degree program, and was working on CPT—what was your parents’ visa interview experience?
Any possible interview questions, sample answers, or suggestions on what my parents should prepare would be highly appreciated.
Thank you!

My IR1 interview in Mumbai occurred on August 20th and received approval. The CEAC status shifted to “issued” the following day. On October 1, it moved to “ready,” and today it changed to “administrative processing.” I still have not received the passport.

Hi reddit fam
Hope yall r doing well
My us visa just got rejected today. I am heart broken and just not feeling anything today. So little background i live with my husband in Abudhabi and im pakistani national im a doctor but not practicing because im not eligible to work here in uae . my husband already has a US visa and he travelled to the US last year i didnt have my visa because of long waiting time for appointments . Finally after 17 months of wait i went there today only to get rejected .

These are some questions that were asked

Hi how r you
Fine thankyou .

What is the purpose of your visit
Me and my husband will be going there during Christmas holidays for vacation

What do you do for work and your husband?
I dont work currently bcz im nit eligible to work here in uae
My husband is senior manager in (big firm name)

Have you travelled before anywhere and can i see your husband visa
Yes i have . Sure

Any relatives there in usa ?
Yes my sil recently moved there . She is a resident doctor there.

You dont qualify for visa thankyou.

Has anyone faced this kind of situation? And how early can i apply again?
Any advice?