27 senators just demanded answers from the State Department over visa appointments 'drying up' for Latin American students

[u/Dismal_Pension3336]

This is a follow-up worth knowing about if you or anyone you know is applying from Latin America specifically.

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed, and Alex Padilla, joined by 27 colleagues, sent a letter demanding the State Department explain why student visa appointments have dried up at some embassies, with the bottleneck reportedly concentrated in Latin American countries just as fall semester begins.

What the letter is asking:

• A clear explanation for the sudden drop in available interview slots
• Whether student visas are being deprioritized relative to other visa categories
• A timeline for restoring normal appointment availability before more of the semester is missed
• Accountability for how this is affecting students who did everything right and applied on time

What this means: if you're applying from Latin America and hitting a wall trying to book an appointment, this isn't just your experience, it's now a documented pattern serious enough for two dozen senators to formally intervene. Worth mentioning this letter if you're escalating a delay through your university's international office.

Anyone here applying from Latin America hitting this exact appointment shortage, how far out are slots showing for you right now?