What to Do If Your Visa is Delayed?

If you’re experiencing visa delays, please inform ISSS, your academic department, and your employer (if applicable). In some cases you may need to defer the start of your F-1 or J-1 program. If that happens, see the New F-1/J-1s Requesting New Documents from ISSS section below to get a new I-20/DS-2019.

Delays in visa issuance could be caused by status issues, country of citizenship, field of study/research, and other factors. ISSS and Texas A&M University unfortunately cannot help you speed up the process because the Department of State will not release information to anyone besides the applicant.

What to Do If You Are Subject to Administrative Processing?

If you received a 221(g) or administrative processing notice, the visa officer may need additional documents or information from you. Make sure to respond to their inquiries as soon as you can. Sometimes administrative processing can take months. The Department of State recommends you wait at least 60 days after the visa interview before inquiring about delays caused by administrative processing.

Administrative processing may cause you to miss the start of your program. If that happens, see the New F-1/J-1s Requesting New Documents from ISSS section below to get a new I-20/DS-2019.

You can consult an immigration attorney for assistance if you’re under administrative processing. The attorney could be in your country or in the U.S.

What to Do If Your Visa Is Denied?

If your visa is denied, do not panic. You should be notified of the reason for the denial in writing and/or verbally. Many applicants will still be able to apply for their visa again. Just make sure to resolve any issues mentioned in the notice. If you need help understanding the reason for your denial, check here:

• Common reasons for denials and explanations of denial notices

If you have further questions about your denial or reapplying for the visa, you consult an immigration attorney or contact ISSS. Students can email ISSS at isss@tamu.edu and scholars/interns can email ISSS at j1scholars@tamu.edu.

If you email our office, include a copy of the denial notice and any other relevant information (questions you were asked, how you answered, what documentation you submitted, etc). If you need a new document from ISSS, see the section below.

New F-1/J-1s Requesting New Documents from ISSS

If you’re a new F-1 or J-1 to TAMU and any of the previously mentioned problems cause you to miss the program start date on your I-20/DS-2019, then you’ll need to get a new document from ISSS.

• J-1 Scholars or Interns: Contact j1scholars@tamu.edu to get an updated DS-2019 with a new program start date.
• Students:
  • Plan A: Enroll online from outside of the U.S. temporarily. (This option is only available for graduate students)
    • Contact your academic department to see if you can enroll from outside the U.S.
    • If you do enroll, submit an Other Student Check-In to ISSS.
    • Then submit a new I-20/DS-2019 request in the ISSS Portal to get program dates for a future semester.
  • Plan B: Defer your admission to a later semester and apply for an immigration document to start in the corresponding semester you are admitted to. (This option is available for graduate and undergraduate students)
    • Contact your academic department and the Office of Admissions to defer your admission. Email admissions@tamu.edu using Subject: Admission Deferral Request.
    • Apply for a new I-20/DS-2019 in the ISSS Portal