Rescheduling a US Visa Appointment in India (2026): Reschedule Limits, OFC Pairs, DS-160 Numbers and Expired MRV Receipts

Rescheduling a US Visa Appointment - 2026 Quick Answer

Since 1 January 2025 a US nonimmigrant visa appointment in India can be rescheduled once. A second reschedule or a missed consular appointment means a new visa fee and a new booking, according to the official US visa information website for India (last read by us in October 2026).

• As of September 2026, the MRV fee receipt allows booking for 365 days from issue. The interview can fall later.
• A DS-160 corrected after booking means bringing both confirmation pages, or cancelling and rebooking with the corrected number.
• If the consulate moved the appointment, only the new date counts, according to a December 2025 Mission India post quoted by The Tribune.
• The fee is non-refundable and cannot be moved to an appointment in another country.

Visarun is a visa agency. We help prepare and check the DS-160 and documents. We do not sell slots, cannot see the appointment calendar and do not promise dates or visas. Visa decisions belong to the consulate.

How Many Times You Can Reschedule

Once. The official India visa FAQ (entry updated on 31 December 2024, last read in October 2026) lets applicants reschedule one time, for any reason. Missing the consular appointment or rescheduling a second time means a new fee and a new appointment.

US Mission India announced the rule in December 2024, as Business Today and the law firm BAL reported, and asked applicants to choose a date they can attend because waits are long.

The India appointment pages, last read in September 2026, add that a warning message appears at the limit. The applicant can then attend or cancel, and cancelling makes the fee payment invalid. The same pages ask anyone who cannot attend to cancel at least two business days before the interview to avoid a no-show mark.

As of November 2026, the US Schedule of Fees sets $185 for B, F, J, M and other visas that need no petition (E visas excepted), and $205 for H, L, O, P, Q and R visas. At the consular rate of ₹98 per dollar, in force since 25 May 2026, that is about ₹18,130 or ₹20,090.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, one B1/B2 applicant asked whether "once" covers the OFC, the interview or both. No official text we read answers that.

OFC and Interview Pairs - Moving One Without Losing the Other

A visa appointment in India comes in two parts, biometrics at the Visa Application Center (VAC), which applicants call the OFC, and the consular interview. US Mission India's immigrant visa page describes booking both on one website and says skipping biometrics leads to the interview being cancelled. That page covers immigrant visas, and we found no published rule on the pair for visitor, student or work visas.

We found no official India text on what happens to the old pair if a new OFC slot is picked but no interview is confirmed, or on moving only one of the two. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, the reschedule screen asks for the OFC first, and applicants asked whether their original dates survive if no consular slot appears or the session times out. According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, some saw OFC slots with no consular slots at all.

We recommend a careful routine:

• Save the current confirmation page before opening the reschedule screen.
• Start only when ready to confirm both dates in one session.
• Check the new confirmation page and email afterwards.
• Raise any mismatch with the official support channel.

DS-160 Numbers, Passport Changes and Profile Errors

US Mission India requires a properly completed DS-160 at booking. The official India FAQ, last read in October 2026, warns that a placeholder DS-160 filled in improperly, by you or by anyone on your behalf, will cost the appointment.

Corrected DS-160 after booking

As of November 2026, US Mission India asks applicants who booked on or after 15 November 2023 and later corrected the DS-160 to bring both the original confirmation page used to book and the corrected one. If they cannot bring both, the instruction is to cancel and reschedule with the corrected number, which may use up the single reschedule.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, the Visa Service Desk told one applicant with a mismatched DS-160 number to file a new form, keep the appointment and bring both pages. The official rule governs, so we recommend checking with official support before acting.

New passport after the DS-160

The DS-160 carries the number of the valid passport you will travel with, according to the State Department FAQ last checked in October 2026. In 2019 the State Department's Visa Office told AILA, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, that a new passport did not require a new DS-160, that the passport number in the system could not be changed, and that applicants should bring both passports. That answer is dated and does not cover the India scheduling profile.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, the India website would not accept a renewed passport number, and support said it cannot be changed after the profile is created. We found no published India procedure. We recommend asking the official support channel before the appointment and carrying both passports.

When the Consulate Moves Your Appointment

MIT's International Scholars Office reported in December 2025 that H-1B and H-4 interviews set for 15 December 2025 or later were pushed to March or April 2026 or later, as consulates cut daily interviews for extra vetting. In January 2026 Business Today reported emails moving January and February 2026 interviews to April and May 2027.

In December 2025 US Mission India posted on X, as quoted by The Tribune, that moved applicants should come on the new date. Arriving on the old date would mean being denied entry to the embassy or consulate.

Three law firms, Jackson and Hertogs, Benesch and Greenberg Traurig, wrote that applicants moved by the consulate get one online reschedule, but only while the MRV receipt is under a year old, and that a missed appointment may forfeit the fee. These are law-firm readings, not an official India text.

Does a consulate move use up your own reschedule? We found no official statement. According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, one applicant still had an attempt left after a consulate move, which is a hint, not proof. As of November 2026, appointments, emergency ones included, are booked online only, not by email.

MRV Fee Validity and the Expired Receipt Problem

The State Department (notice updated in May 2026) and the India appointment pages give the same rule, both last read in September 2026. The MRV fee is valid for 365 days from the date the receipt is issued, and the appointment needs to be booked in that window. The interview itself can take place later.

As of November 2026, US Mission India says the fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, and that applicants book in their country of residence or nationality. A receipt paid in India cannot be used abroad.

When the receipt expires before the new date

• According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, an H-1B applicant moved from January 2026 to March 2027 lost the reschedule option once the receipt expired, and support only said to pay again.
• According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, the portal showed error PSE0610 to an applicant moved from February 2026 to May 2027 after the receipt expired, despite one attempt left. Support reportedly said to cancel the slot and apply with a new fee.

We found no official India text on this and no rule that extends a receipt after a consulate move. On other State Department scheduling sites, such as the UK one, the published rule is that an appointment booked before expiry stays valid but cannot be cancelled or moved without a new fee. That is UK wording, though Indian law-firm notes describe similar behaviour. Our reading: if you hold an appointment on an expired receipt, attending it is usually the safest option.

Earlier Slots - Releases, Bots and Paid Agents

The India appointment terms, last read in September 2026, say appointments are not guaranteed and availability changes daily. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, B1/B2 dates for April to June 2027 opened at Chennai and Hyderabad on 29 October for about 30 minutes. According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, more opened at Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata on 2 November. We found no official announcement of either release.

Bots and paid agents

On 26 March 2025 US Embassy India said it was cancelling about 2,000 bot-made appointments and suspending the linked accounts, with zero tolerance for agents and fixers. The site's terms, last read in September 2026, ban bots and scripts and cap daily logins. If automation extensions are detected, an "Access limitation" warning appears, and the applicant is asked to remove them and wait at least 24 hours. A September 2026 notice on the site, last read in October 2026, repeats that accounts using such tools may be restricted.

Paid slot offers still circulate. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, agents asked one H-1B holder for over ₹1 lakh, and WhatsApp-group openings did not show for another. Deccan Herald reported a 2025 Bengaluru police case in which a fraudster offered an earlier interview for ₹10,000, took the portal password, sent a fake receipt and locked the applicant out.

US Mission India warns that many consultants give unhelpful information, that its own free information is the accurate source, and that false information pushed by consultants has led to permanent ineligibility. Suspected fraud can be reported through its website.

Legitimate ways to get an earlier date

• Using the one reschedule only when a real earlier OFC and interview pair appears.
• An expedite request, open only to applicants with a confirmed interview date, as of November 2026. US Mission India advises keeping the current appointment until approval, and expedited slots are very limited.
• The $750 per-person B1/B2 expedite pilot (1 July to 31 December 2026), which offers an interview within ten business days at selected posts. The fee is lost on a no-show or cancellation and does not guarantee a visa. India was not on the list at its 18 August 2026 update, so we recommend checking it.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 1 January 2025: one reschedule allowed. A second one or a no-show requires a new fee.
• 26 March 2025: about 2,000 bot-made appointments cancelled.
• September 2025: applicants told to book in their country of residence or nationality.
• December 2025 (MIT, The Tribune): mass H-1B and H-4 interview moves. Only the new date counts.
• March 2026: portal requires a submitted DS-160, according to an Indian visa consultancy.
• 25 May 2026: consular rate rises from ₹96 to ₹98 per dollar.
• 1 July to 31 December 2026: $750 B1/B2 expedite pilot. India not listed as of August 2026.
• Autumn 2026: according to applicant reports on Reddit in October and November 2026, late-2025 receipts expired before consulate-moved dates, and bulk B1/B2 openings appeared.

FAQ

How many times can I reschedule a US visa appointment in India?

Once, since 1 January 2025, per the official India FAQ read in October 2026. A second reschedule or a no-show means a new fee and booking.

Is the OFC counted separately from the interview?

No official text we read says so. We recommend moving the pair only when both new dates can be confirmed in one session.

What happens if I cancel?

After the reschedule limit, cancelling makes the fee invalid, according to the India pages last read in September 2026. Cancelling at least two business days ahead avoids a no-show mark.

How much does a new booking cost?

As of November 2026, $185 for B, F, J and M visas or $205 for H, L, O, P, Q and R visas, about ₹18,130 or ₹20,090 at ₹98 per dollar.

My receipt expired after the consulate moved my appointment. What now?

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October and November 2026, the reschedule option vanished and support asked for a new fee. Attending the appointment you hold is usually the safest option.

I corrected my DS-160 after booking. Do I need to reschedule?

Not if you can bring both the original and the corrected confirmation pages, for bookings from 15 November 2023, as of November 2026. Otherwise the instruction is to cancel and reschedule.

Can I change my passport number in the profile?

We found no published India procedure. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, it cannot be edited. We recommend asking the official support channel and bringing both passports.

Can Visarun get me an earlier slot?

No. We help prepare and check the DS-160 and documents, but we do not sell slots and have no access to the calendar. Dates and visa decisions belong to the consulate.