Big Relief For US Visa Applicants! Embassy Announces New Rules For Indians To Cut Short Long Waiting Periods, Know More

Bringing in a huge wave of relief to Indians planning to fly abroad, the US Embassy in India announced that visa applicants will now be able to seek appointments at their embassies in other countries. Citing the example of the US Embassy in Thailand, their official Twitter handle claimed that they would process the requests at the consulate present in their destination. The move was brought in to reduce the backlog of visa applications, which has piled up with the waiting period for a US visa being as high as 800 days at some centres in India.

Apply At Your Comfort

Soon after the announcement, the embassy's official handle noted that in January, the US Mission to India processed over 1 lakh visa applications. They claimed that this is the highest numbers in any month since July 2019, and they would continue moving at this pace with an increased capacity and growing team.

This January, the U.S. Mission to India processed over 1 Lakh visa applications. That’s more than in any month since July 2019 and one of our highest monthly totals ever! And we aren’t done yet. Our capacity will continue to increase as our team grows this spring. pic.twitter.com/nkcmhopWHZ

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) February 4, 2023

The numbers are expected to grow even further, with the embassy enabling visa applicants to apply for a business or tourist visa even at embassies or consulates outside India. Citing an example, the officials wrote that "the US Embassy in Bangkok has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months."

Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/tjunlBqeYu

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) February 3, 2023

The embassy has taken measures ahead of this announcement, such as scheduling special interviews for first-time applicants and increasing the strength of consular staff to clear the backlog. According to a report by India Today, they have been putting "every ounce of its energy" into resolving the long visa wait time in India. For this, they have sent a cadre of consular officers to the country and opened up its other overseas embassies as far away as Germany and Thailand for Indian visa applicants.

Welcoming More Indians

During the pandemic, the visa application process was slowed down due to travel restrictions, and many embassy staff were let go. Otherwise, too, there were growing concerns regarding US visa applications due to the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants. Those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories for the first time had a waiting period close to three years in October 2022. Despite this, India was among the few countries where applications for US visas saw a rising graph soon as the travel restrictions were lifted.

To cut the delays in processing visas, the US launched a set of new initiatives, including making the process easier for first-time applicants. They also addressed the low numbers of consular staff and have been working towards increasing the strength. As a part of the same initiative, the US embassy in Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata also carried out "special Saturday interview days."

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