Visa Scheduling Guide · India · 2026
Every year, thousands of Indian applicants lose weeks to scheduling mistakes on usvisascheduling.com. This is the no-fluff walkthrough we wish every student had before they started.
Please Note: WeLivdIt is an independent F-1 visa interview preparation platform. We do not book, reschedule, or assist with US visa appointment slots. This guide is purely educational to help applicants navigate official portals independently.
usvisascheduling.com is the official portal Indian applicants use to schedule non-immigrant visa appointments. It is separate from the DS-160 form at ceac.state.gov and the SEVIS fee portal at fmjfee.com.
Use a personal email you'll keep for at least a year. Pick a username that isn't a common name to avoid 'Existing Username in Database' errors.
Confirm your email and set your security questions. You cannot recover a forgotten username without them.
Enter your DS-160 confirmation number and select the correct visa class before paying any fee - receipts are locked to one class.
Choose from Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, or New Delhi. You can book OFC and consular appointments in different cities if travel is feasible.
The Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee must be paid before the portal unlocks appointment booking. For most Indian F-1, B1/B2, and J-1 applicants, the fee is $185 USD, collected in INR at the portal's exchange rate.
Fees are quoted in USD and collected in INR at the portal's exchange rate. Always confirm the current amount on the official portal before paying - this guide is a reference, not a substitute for the official site.
If you update your DS-160 form after booking a slot, you do not need to cancel your appointment. Instead, carry both the original DS-160 confirmation page (used to schedule) and the new, updated DS-160 confirmation page to your OFC biometrics appointment. The VAC staff can update the DS-160 number linked to your appointment before the consular interview.
A clean, linear sequence - skip a phase and the next one quietly fails. Click any phase to open its full checklist.
The portal books two separate appointments. Understanding the difference keeps you from showing up at the wrong location or on the wrong date.
Practice real visa-officer scenarios, audit your DS-160 narrative, and build confidence before standing at the consular counter.
Most portal errors come from browser state, duplicate accounts, or payment timing. Use the fixes below before panicking or paying twice.
If the portal behaves oddly, clear cache and cookies for usvisascheduling.com, then reopen in an incognito/private window. Disable ad blockers and VPNs that may interfere with session cookies.
Print everything the night before. Phones and electronic devices are usually not allowed inside either appointment.
VAC / OFC
82, Good Shepherd Square, Kodambakkam High Rd, Badrikari, Tirumurthy Nagar, Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600034
Open in Google MapsVAC / OFC
Metro Station Hitech City, Lower Concourse, Hitech City Rd, Silicon Valley, Madhapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
Open in Google MapsConsulate / Embassy
Survey No. 115, 1, Donald Trump Ave, Financial District, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, Telangana 500032
Open in Google MapsVAC / OFC
4th & 5th Floor, AA-I, Rene Towers, Plot No, Rajdanga Main Rd, Sector A, Kasba, Kolkata, West Bengal 700107
Open in Google MapsConsulate / Embassy
Suite-26, Cta Contemporary Training Academy, 5/1, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kankaria Estates, Park Street area, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071
Open in Google MapsVAC / OFC
Signia Pearl, C49, G Block Rd, G Block BKC, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051
Open in Google MapsConsulate / Embassy
C-49, G-Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai 400051
Open in Google MapsVAC / OFC
Mezzanine Level, The Eastern Court Janpath Metro Station, Baba Kharak Singh Rd, Shivaji Stadium, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001
Open in Google MapsEach fee receipt is locked to one visa class. If you pay for B1/B2 and later realise you need F1, you'll pay again.
Your DS-160 confirmation number is what binds the appointment to you. Submitting a fresh DS-160 after booking can desync the records.
Many applicants don't realise OFC and consular can be in different cities - and then scramble for flights at the last minute.
US visa scheduling portals have rate limiters. Use the portal at a sensible pace - getting locked out for 24 hours during slot season is painful.
The questions Indian F-1 students ask most once they're inside the portal.
Indian applicants now book only through usvisascheduling.com. The older ustraveldocs.com portal is retired for India.
Profiles, payments and receipts from ustraveldocs do not migrate. Create a new account, link your passport and DS-160, then pay the MRV fee inside the new portal.
Each MRV fee comes with a limited number of reschedules. Your dashboard shows how many remain.
Using all of them can mean paying a fresh MRV fee ($185). Only reschedule once you are sure the new date works for your admit, I-20 start date and travel.
You can request an emergency appointment only after booking the earliest available regular slot. Submit the request from your portal dashboard with proof (e.g. I-20 program start date).
Approval is at the consulate's discretion and is not guaranteed. Students often get a denial when a regular slot already exists before the program start date.
The OFC (biometrics) visit and the consular interview can be in different cities — for example OFC in Hyderabad and interview in Chennai.
The OFC date must come before your interview date. Carry the same documents to both, including your appointment confirmation and DS-160 confirmation page.
Slot booked? Now prepare for the interview.
1-on-1 mock interviews with live DS-160 screen-share review, from ₹3,000.
See plansIndian applicants must use the official portal at usvisascheduling.com. Create an account with a unique username, verify your email, and set security questions to access the dashboard.
UPI payments through the official usvisascheduling portal reflect instantly in most cases. NEFT bank transfers typically take up to 1 business day. Axis Bank cash deposits and waybills routinely take 2 to 4 working days to reflect as 'Paid' on usvisascheduling.com.
Yes. Bring both your original DS-160 confirmation page (used for scheduling) and your updated DS-160 confirmation page to your OFC biometric appointment to update it.
No. WeLivdIt is an independent F-1 visa interview preparation platform. We do not offer slot booking or appointment scheduling services. We specialize in 1-on-1 mock interviews, DS-160 audits, and profile strategy once candidates secure their dates.
Now the real work begins — DS-160 review, 1-on-1 mock interviews, document verification, and your core interview narrative. Join hundreds of successful students this intake.
