US cuts off Visa delays for Indians

For many Indians, getting a visa to the United States has been a frustrating and time-consuming process due to the long wait times. However, the US embassy and consulates in India are now taking significant steps to address the issue.

The current wait time for Indian visitors is a staggering 500-600 days, which is in stark contrast to those from European cities where the wait time is just 20 days. This has affected several Indian businesses and thousands of Indians who rely on visas to live and work in the US.

In response to the situation, the US embassy and consulates in India have launched several new initiatives to cut wait times and increase visa processing. This includes extending operating hours on weekdays and opening on Saturdays to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews. Additionally, the US State Department will soon increase the number of consular officers permanently assigned to offices in India and incorporate dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other embassies to increase processing capacity.

According to Mumbai Consular Chief John Ballard, the consular teams stationed across India are working diligently to cater to the requirements of international travellers and reduce waiting periods. This is in line with the mission’s broader objective of devising creative solutions to streamline travel to the United States.

The US mission in India has prioritized the facilitation of authorized travel, with over 800,000 non-immigrant visas, including unprecedented quantities of both employment and student visas, being processed and approved in 2022.

. And while the current wait time for Indian visitors is still approximately 1.5 years, this is a significant improvement from the nearly three years that many applicants faced in 2022.