New Delhi: Aiming to reduce delays in visa processing in India, the US has launched new initiatives, including scheduling special interviews for first-time applicants and increasing the number of consular staff.
As part of a multi-pronged approach to reduce the visa backlog, the US Embassy in Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad organized “Special Saturday Interview Days” on January 21.
“On January 21, the US Mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days as part of a major effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants,” the US Embassy said on Sunday.
It said in a statement, “The United States Embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad resumed consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews. “
The mission will continue to open “additional slots” for appointments on select Saturdays in the coming months.
“These additional interview days are just one component of a multi-initiative to address the backlog in visa processing due to COVID-19,” it said.
it said US State Department Implemented remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas.
Between January and March 2023, dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other embassies will come to India to increase visa processing capacity.
The US Mission in India released more than 250,000 additional B1/B2 appointments. While B1 is a business visa, B2 is a tourism visa.
The mission said the Consulate General in Mumbai also extended its working hours on weekdays to make room for the additional appointments.
“By this summer, the US mission in India will be fully staffed, and we expect visa processing to be at pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels,” the embassy said.
The statement said that once the travel ban is lifted, India’s mission has prioritized facilitating legitimate travel and has decided on over 8,00,000 non-immigrant visas in 2022, including both student and employment visas. Contains record numbers.
“In every other visa category, interview wait times in India are at or below pre-pandemic levels,” it said.
The Embassy said that the Consulate General of Mumbai currently adjudicates the largest number of visa applications in India and is one of the largest visa operations in the world.
“Our consular teams across India are putting in extra hours to meet the needs of international travelers and reduce waiting times,” said John Ballard, consular chief in Mumbai.
“This is part of a mission-wide effort to find innovative solutions to facilitate travel to the United States,” the official said.
As part of a multi-pronged approach to reduce the visa backlog, the US Embassy in Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad organized “Special Saturday Interview Days” on January 21.
“On January 21, the US Mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days as part of a major effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants,” the US Embassy said on Sunday.
It said in a statement, “The United States Embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad resumed consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews. “
The mission will continue to open “additional slots” for appointments on select Saturdays in the coming months.
“These additional interview days are just one component of a multi-initiative to address the backlog in visa processing due to COVID-19,” it said.
it said US State Department Implemented remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas.
Between January and March 2023, dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other embassies will come to India to increase visa processing capacity.
The US Mission in India released more than 250,000 additional B1/B2 appointments. While B1 is a business visa, B2 is a tourism visa.
The mission said the Consulate General in Mumbai also extended its working hours on weekdays to make room for the additional appointments.
“By this summer, the US mission in India will be fully staffed, and we expect visa processing to be at pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels,” the embassy said.
The statement said that once the travel ban is lifted, India’s mission has prioritized facilitating legitimate travel and has decided on over 8,00,000 non-immigrant visas in 2022, including both student and employment visas. Contains record numbers.
“In every other visa category, interview wait times in India are at or below pre-pandemic levels,” it said.
The Embassy said that the Consulate General of Mumbai currently adjudicates the largest number of visa applications in India and is one of the largest visa operations in the world.
“Our consular teams across India are putting in extra hours to meet the needs of international travelers and reduce waiting times,” said John Ballard, consular chief in Mumbai.
“This is part of a mission-wide effort to find innovative solutions to facilitate travel to the United States,” the official said.