u/Eltacovolador

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand my situation realistically and would appreciate insights from anyone with recent experience or similar background.

Context:

• Nationality: Venezuelan
• Current residence: Colombia (legal resident, living here ~10 years but not yet a citizen.)
• Previous U.S. travel: Held a B1/B2 visa issued in 2024, used recently without issues
• Admission: Accepted to Carnegie Mellon University (Master’s in SWE Scalable Systems)
• Planning to apply for: F-1 student visa (likely from Colombia as there is no US embassy in Venezuela running yet.)

Concern:
Under Presidential Proclamation 10998, it seems like visa issuance for certain countries (including Venezuela) is restricted, even though applications/interviews are still allowed.

I’m trying to understand:

1. Has anyone (Venezuelan nationals specifically) been approved for an F-1 visa after Jan 2026?
2. Are approvals happening case-by-case, or is it effectively paused in practice.
3. Anyone from a banned/partially banned country got approved for F type visa recently after the proclamation?

Thanks for any help.