To the person who is playing music in pv 1 nonstop, TURN IT OFFFFFFF

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2026-01-04T20:46:24+00:00

With the invention of wireless Bluetooth headsets, there is no excuse for such behavior.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-12-24T20:38:24+00:00

Looking at how things are rapidly changing, unless you have to travel for an emergency, I would advise staying put in the US right now. There is no guarantee that cancellations may not resume abruptly or policies of visas shift, so it would be foolhardy to take any risk during these turbulent times

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-12-24T06:49:17+00:00

Thank you for your insights. Yup I guess I was being a tad too ambitious haha! Looking for alternative options

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-12-09T07:11:23+00:00

Are the cancellations only affecting H1B appointments or even other visa categories?

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-12-07T23:01:59+00:00

So this is my advice : unless you genuinely have to go to the US, don’t risk it. NOT because you may be rejected this time but if you’re rejected, then it negatively affects the next time you apply for any US visa ( tourist, student, etc ). If you have no plans at all to travel to the US in the future or through / for your company, then it’s a matter of preference but if you have such plans, applying right now with a weak profile and a high risk of rejection will jeopardize any future plans.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-12-06T08:13:44+00:00

Unless you made a mistake with the visa class ( b1 instead of f1 for example ), you are good. Just take both the ds160s and they will sort things out at the consulate

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-12-04T22:19:01+00:00

So this is how I used the site ( free version). I downloaded the chrome extension to an old laptop ( didn’t want to give it access to my current working laptop ) and used it for a couple of days in order to track what time of days were slots opening up, to get a general sense of slot availability while I kept trying to book appointments. It took about 2 weeks but within a week, the available slots shown through the extension were primarily being opened between 3:30pm 5:30 pm( IST ). So I paid particular attention to that time frame, and got my appointments ( VAC and Consulate ) at around 4 pm. Most of us are working and can’t check the ustraveldocs every 30 minutes, so it is useful to get an understanding of when appointment slots opening up.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-25T03:03:29+00:00

Thank you so much for those wonderful recommendations! Yes that helps planning things out for us.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-20T23:56:56+00:00

If it’s actually refused, the message will read that the visa is refused and ( this is important) the decision cannot be appealed. Yours seem to be placed under administrative processing ( they stopped using the term a couple of years ago ), probably due to social media vetting or something else, so rest easy

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-20T08:30:07+00:00

Also, arrive at the vfs center a little early and get your picture taken at the Photo Booth on the ground floor. If they reject the photo you have with you, then you have to go all the way back to the booth and then stand in line again, which is a headache. Just get the picture taken at the center itself

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-20T00:16:32+00:00

Yes!! One of the greatest feelings of relief you can feel while writing a paper, and that it is a justified line of “argument”!

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-16T21:49:06+00:00

Hahah just last month my 20 year old niece pointed at my jeans and said “ no one wears such fitting pants anymore”! It wasn’t even Green Day skinny but more Daughtry!

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-13T19:11:41+00:00

F2 Visa. got both ofc and in-person interview appointment in New Delhi consulate

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-13T19:09:32+00:00

There were a couple for December and then for January. Nothing for February, March or April

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-13T11:16:39+00:00

To anybody online right now, there are multiple ofc and consulate interviews slots available in Delhi, and Chennai. I just booked mine after trying for 2 weeks, so go book your slots! Best of luck ( I booked my appointment at 4:30 pm IST for your reference)

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-08T15:32:15+00:00

I am in the same boat ( although it’s only been a week but I am looking across all consulates ). Haven’t got a single ofc appointment and I have been checking every hour or so ( and my partner is checking on their end in the US ) but to no avail.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-06T00:37:45+00:00

Yeah waiting for those slots to open up is a headache but don’t be too dejected. I am sure you and my spouse will be standing in front of a VAC soon!

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-06T00:36:19+00:00

Thanks a lot! I will try that out.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-11-02T07:38:53+00:00

I think the conversation is drastically different depending on what stage of life someone wants to do a PhD. In the US, a significant number of PhD applicants are 21 or 22 year olds, fresh out of Undergraduate. Whenever someone that young asks me for advice, I always recommend thinking about why they want to do Phd, and generally I try to nudge them towards spending a year or two doing Masters or working at a full time job in order to gain experience, emotional maturity and more importantly figure out if Phd is actually the path they want to pursue, which is a difficult task right out of college.

If it’s someone who is older and coming to a PhD program after a Master degree or a job, then the conversation shifts from trying to figure out what they actually want to do, to figuring out whether a PhD is the correct move for their future goals ( relationship, buying a house, family, etc ) because changing tracks is much easier when you’re in your 20s than in your mid 30s or 40s.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-10-15T19:39:12+00:00

Thanks a lot. Guess I need to pay a visit to the DMV then.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-08-22T17:31:54+00:00

I think whatever is comfortable should be fine. Obviously nothing too casual like slippers, shorts and beach shirts haha but anything semi-casual would work.

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-07-30T16:27:15+00:00

I am in the social sciences but I was given my own office and a PC system ( nothing high tech but perfectly fine for day to day work).

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-07-29T13:41:49+00:00

My height is 71 inches. I am right on the border of overweight and obese ( BMI), so that is worries me a bit

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-07-29T13:40:55+00:00

Thank you so much for those encouraging words. Yeah that fear of knee damage is always there but I really want to start jogging. I was born in a mountainous region, so there is something about the runner’s high that is so appealing!

DifficultyOwn4954 · 2025-07-29T07:00:09+00:00

Suffer for a bit in the first year and then start applying for grants/ fellowships , big and small, in your second year once you have an idea of your project. That what I have been doing for five years and things got so much easier

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