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Reschedules are dropping from four to three
Once you book your visa slot, the system has always allowed you to reschedule your appointment. Until recently, you had up to four reschedules available to you. That number is being reduced to three. It sounds like a small change, but if you are the kind of applicant who books early and then adjusts as your situation changes, losing that fourth reschedule matters. Use your reschedule attempts carefully and only move your appointment when you genuinely need to.
Placeholder slots no longer exist
A placeholder appointment was a workaround many applicants used. You would book a dummy appointment in the system and then use that booking as a basis to request an emergency or expedited appointment. That option is gone. The embassy has removed placeholder slots entirely. Every appointment you now see in the portal is a real appointment — booked by a real applicant. If you were planning to use the placeholder strategy, you need a different approach.
Dropbox applicants can now request an expedited in-person appointment
If you qualify for the Dropbox process — where you submit your documents by courier rather than attending an in-person interview — the typical wait is anywhere between four to six weeks. The embassy is introducing a new feature to help with this. You will be able to expedite your Dropbox appointment by requesting a switch to an in-person process instead. This is worth knowing if you are on a tight timeline and cannot afford to wait the full Dropbox window.
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