This message was originally sent to students and scholars by email on May 28, 2025.
Dear Students and Scholars,
I’m writing to all incoming and current international students and scholars at UConn. You may have seen recent news reports that U.S. embassies have been directed to pause new visa appointments for all F, M, J visa applicants while the government implements new standards for using social media to vet visa applications.
I’m writing to reassure you that the university and the ISSS are tracking these developments very closely and as soon as we have more information to share, we will communicate it with our new students and the university community. We want to note that the directive seems to address the addition of new F/M/J visa appointment slots. NAFSA: Association for International Education, reports, “There are indications… that the temporary appointment scheduling pause will not affect appointments that are already scheduled but will affect unused appointment slots and slots that are normally added on a periodic basis.” Given this uncertainty, if your appointment is denied or postponed, we ask you to report this to the ISSS here as soon as possible. In the short term, if you need to schedule a visa appointment, continue to check the Consular Electronic Appointment system regularly for available appointments. We hope this pause is temporary, and we will continue to keep you updated as we learn more about the impact of this directive, as well as any future guidance concerning the directive.
Lastly, while not required, it is always helpful when students check in and let us know when their visas have been approved. Please continue to share news of your successful visa interviews with the ISSS, and of course, reach out with any problems, questions, or concerns. We are here to support you.
Best regards,
___________
Arthur Galinat (pronounce my name)
(he/him/his)
Director, International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)
UConn Global Affairs
Center for International Student & Scholars (CISS)
2019 Hillside Rd., U-1083
STORRS, CT 06269-1083
PHONE: 860.486.3855 | FAX: 860.486.5800
EMAIL: arthur.galinat@uconn.edu | http://international.global.uconn.edu
Facebook: @UConnGlobal | Instagram: @uconn.global