Lost in Vis-à-Vis

Sadaf Sharifi

For most college students, the journey to university campus begins with packing a suitcase and saying goodbye to the family and boarding a plane or driving to campus. But for international students this journey begins weeks or months earlier. Visa process applications for appointments for interviews at the Embassy, paperwork and stress over whether they will receive a visa to make it to campus at all.  

At Mount St. Mary’s University, international students experience different paths of the US F-1 student visa process. Some face a smoother application process while some others spend weeks checking the embassy website and worry about the travel costs and wonder if they will arrive in time for the start of classes. The Mountain Echo spoke with some international students on this topic.  

For Bruno Borrallo Rivera (C’27), one of international students at the Mount from Spain, the uncertainty and stress peaked during the summer of 2025.  

He had already been accepted to the university; but by June, he had not heard back from the U.S. embassy about his visa appointment in Madrid. His classes had been scheduled to start in August, but he was unsure whether he could enter the country on time for his classes.  

The state department had temporarily paused scheduling new student visa interviews back in May 2025 when the new administration expanded screening and vetting procedures. Scheduling resumed later in June.  

Unable to tell when he would receive his visa, Rivera could not purchase his flight from Barcelona to Washington D.C. “This also created another problem because plane tickets became more expensive closer to the travel date,” Rivera said.  

Eventually, Borrallo Rivera and his mother found an appointment opening created by a cancellation. He completed his interview and received his visa a week later which allowed him to arrive to the United States in time for classes. “It was a very uncertain situation for me,” he remarked. 

Theodora Kanellopoulou (C’28), another international student, faced less complications through the visa process, but still described it as stressful.  

Kanellopoulou describes the amount of paperwork, documents, visa issuance and travel dates a lot to deal with. “It can be difficult when your family is in another country,” she stated. She also added that the possibility of making a small mistake could lead to not receiving documents on time by the Embassy, which added more pressure while she was coordinating her travel and school schedule.  

Nuria Escudero Jimenez (C’28), is also from Spain, and she shared that her visa experience was smooth but expensive. Because she lives in Barcelona, she had to travel to Madrid for her appointment at the embassy, cost of transportation, lodging and other expenses in addition to the visa fee. She expressed her concerns about re-entering the U.S. after traveling back home during the summer break made things more complicated and stressful. 

For students, whose families live thousands of miles away, visiting home, family and beloved ones require more than a plane ticket. Because they must think about their immigration documents, visa status and the possibilities of unexpected delays in this process.  

Regarding international students, colleges and universities do not have the power to control federal laws regarding visa decisions, but they can provide clearer and better information, communicate changes immediately with the international students so they are aware of the important deadlines and available resources that can help them through this process.  

Arriving on campus is just the beginning. For successful and comfortable arrival to campus depends on a visa and that journey itself can be one of the biggest and most challenging times of their college to experience thousands of miles away from home.