Several new initiatives have been introduced by the US embassy and consulates in India to reduce wait times and increase visa processing across the country.
For Indian guests, the current wait time is 500-600 days.
According to the US mission, the Covid-19 epidemic has caused a significant backlog in its services in India.
It had an impact on several Indian enterprises as well as thousands of Indians who rely on visas to live and work in the United States.
The current wait time for Indians applying for employment visas is 60-280 days, while the wait time for visitors is roughly 1.5 years.
The long wait time for Indian travelers contrasts with the about 20-day wait time for visitors from European cities.
According to US State Department estimates, applicants in Asian locations such as Beijing and Colombo must wait around 30-35 days.
However, India’s wait period has decreased from the over three years that many candidates experienced in 2022.
The US Mission has announced that its embassies in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad will now be open on Saturdays to assist applicants who require in-person visa interviews.
The consulate general in Mumbai has also extended its daily operation hours to accommodate additional appointments.
The US State Department, according to the mission, will shortly increase the number of consular personnel permanently assigned to locations in India.
To enhance its processing capacity, it will also hire dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other embassies by March.
“The US embassy to India has made it a priority to facilitate genuine travel, adjudicating over 800,000 non-immigrant visas in 2022, including record levels of both student and job visas,” according to the statement.
It also stated that in 2022, it will offer 250,000 additional B1/B2 visa appointments, which are essential for visitors.
