‘India no. 1 priority…waiting time for US visas may reduce by 2023’: Official
2 years, 1 month ago

‘India no. 1 priority…waiting time for US visas may reduce by 2023’: Official

Live Mint  

The waiting period for US visas is likely to move towards further normalcy by mid-2023, a senior US embassy official told Hindustan Times, Livemint's sister publication. The official said that they have a priority in reducing the waiting time for non-immigrant work visas such as the H and L categories, including the coveted H-1B visas, B-1 business visas, B-2 tourism visas, and visas for crews of shipping companies and airlines. For instance, those who had a US visa that expired in the past four years can use the drop box facility while applying for a new B-1 or B-2 visa. The US state department’s website for visa appointment shows first-time Indian applicants for B-1 and B-2 visas' waiting time is of 925 days, the official indicated that the actual time would be less.

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History of this topic

US announces new rules to streamline H-1B visa appointments, relief for Indian techies
5 days, 21 hours ago

US announces new rules to streamline H-1B visa appointments, relief for Indian techies

Hindustan Times  

US H1B visa: The US Embassy in India, beginning from January 1, 2025, will implement new regulations for scheduling and rescheduling non-immigrant visa appointments, including those for H-1B visas, aimed at streamlining the process and reducing wait times. The US embassy has announced new rules to streamline the appointment process for visa applicants This announcement on the US embassy's official …

New US visa appointment rules to cut wait time, bring relief for Indians in 2025
6 days, 7 hours ago

New US visa appointment rules to cut wait time, bring relief for Indians in 2025

India Today  

The New Year will bring relief for Indians seeking to work and travel in the US. Starting January 1, 2025, the US Embassy in India will introduce new regulations for scheduling and rescheduling non-immigrant visa appointments to streamline the process and reduce wait times. This announcement comes just a day after the Department of Homeland Security revealed new rules to …

’Super Saturday’ visa initiative: US to reduce wait times on December 7 in THESE cities – Here’s what you need to know
2 weeks, 4 days ago

’Super Saturday’ visa initiative: US to reduce wait times on December 7 in THESE cities – Here’s what you need to know

Live Mint  

The United States Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad is opening consular operations today, December 7, to accommodate applicants requiring in-person visa interviews. In a notification by the US Embassy, it said, “ This fourth “Super Saturday” is an innovative way to keep pace with the growing demand for travel between the United States and …

US Consulates to Hold ‘Super Saturday’ Visa Interviews
2 weeks, 4 days ago

US Consulates to Hold ‘Super Saturday’ Visa Interviews

Deccan Chronicle  

The ‘Super Saturday’ initiative aims to maximise resources and conduct the highest number of visa interviews in a single day.This marks the fourth “Super Saturday” since the US Mission in India introduced the feature in January last as part of efforts to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants. The programme is part of a broader strategy to meet the …

US issued record 140K visas to Indian students last year: Official
1 year ago

US issued record 140K visas to Indian students last year: Official

The Hindu  

As part of the Biden administration's endeavour to promote people-to-people ties with India, the US issued more than 1,40,000 visas to Indian students last year and is taking several steps to reduce visa appointment wait period. In an interview to PTI, Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services, said US missions in India worked six, seven days …

Indians now represent over 10% of US visa applicants with one million non-immigrant visas processed in 2023
1 year, 2 months ago

Indians now represent over 10% of US visa applicants with one million non-immigrant visas processed in 2023

Hindustan Times  

The US Mission in India on Thursday surpassed its goal of processing one million non-immigrant visa applications this year and said that Indians now represent over 10 per cent of all visa applicants worldwide, including 20 per cent of all student visa applicants and 65 per cent of all H&L-category visa applicants. The number of visa applications processed in India …

US making 'huge push' to process visas in India
1 year, 6 months ago

US making 'huge push' to process visas in India

Hindustan Times  

The consular teams of the US have been making a "huge push" to process as many visa applications as possible in India, US Department of State official spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing on Thursday. Asked about what India can expect from the US with regard to diplomacy, immigration and visa issues during PM Narendra Modi's upcoming visit, …

US To Open Interview Schedule For Indian Students In June Says John Ballard, US Consular Chief
1 year, 7 months ago

US To Open Interview Schedule For Indian Students In June Says John Ballard, US Consular Chief

News 18  

The United States Mission in India will open up student visa interview slots for Indian Students by next month said John Ballard, Consular Chief, U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai. Speaking at a media roundtable on US Mission to India’s consular operations, John Ballard said “We will be officially opening up most of our study visa appointments from June 1 till the …

Skip the queue! US Embassy in India expands Visa interview waiver process for these travellers looking for renewal
1 year, 7 months ago

Skip the queue! US Embassy in India expands Visa interview waiver process for these travellers looking for renewal

Hindustan Times  

Good news for travelers looking to renew their US visa! The US Embassy in India has announced that those with "clearance received" or "department authorization" on their previous visas can now use the interview waiver process to apply for a new visa. The US Embassy in India has announced that those with 'clearance received' or 'department authorization' on their previous …

U.S. Embassy says visa renewal application can be submitted through dropbox
1 year, 10 months ago

U.S. Embassy says visa renewal application can be submitted through dropbox

The Hindu  

People seeking renewal of U.S. visa can now submit their applications through dropbox, the U.S. Embassy has said while clarifying that such requests would not be entertained through email. According to John Ballard, the consular chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai, the U.S. embassy and consulates in India have prepared to receive a record number of visas from …

US Embassy, Consulates in India Plan to Process 'record' Number of Visas in 2023: Official
1 year, 10 months ago

US Embassy, Consulates in India Plan to Process 'record' Number of Visas in 2023: Official

News 18  

The US embassy and its consulates in India plan to process a “record” number of visas for Indians this year, Mumbai Consular Chief John Ballard said, in view of delays and a backlog in almost every visa category. “Last year, we adjudicated over 8,00,000 total visa adjudications and we are almost up to our pre-pandemic levels, which we expect to …

US embassy, consulates in India plan to process record number of visas in 2023
1 year, 10 months ago

US embassy, consulates in India plan to process record number of visas in 2023

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The US embassy and its consulates in India plan to process a "record" number of visas for Indians this year, Mumbai Consular Chief John Ballard said, in view of delays and a backlog in almost every visa category. The embassy adjudicated over 1,25,000 student visas last year, a record number for Indians, and expects even more Indian students …

Working really hard to reduce visa wait times in India: US
1 year, 11 months ago

Working really hard to reduce visa wait times in India: US

Live Mint  

The US is “putting every ounce of its energy” to eliminate the long visa wait time in India, including sending a cadre of consular officers to the country and opening up its other overseas embassies as far away as Germany and Thailand for Indian visa applicants, according to a senior US visa officer. “We're putting every ounce of our energy …

US launches more steps to cut wait time for visa
1 year, 11 months ago

US launches more steps to cut wait time for visa

Hindustan Times  

The US has launched a multi-pronged initiative, including scheduling special visa interviews on Saturdays and deploying dozens of temporary staffers, to address the backlog in visa processing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The US expects applications for all types of visas in India to increase to about 100,000 a month – or about 1.2 million annually – in 2023, making …

Increasing Consular Staff, Scheduling Spl Interviews: US Embassy Takes Steps to Address Visa Crunch
1 year, 11 months ago

Increasing Consular Staff, Scheduling Spl Interviews: US Embassy Takes Steps to Address Visa Crunch

News 18  

With an aim to cut delays in visa processing in India, the US has launched new initiatives, including scheduling special interviews for first time applicants and increasing strength of consular staff. As part of the multi-pronged approach to cut the visa backlog, the US embassy in Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad conducted “special Saturday interview …

Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: U.S.
1 year, 11 months ago

Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: U.S.

The Hindu  

The United States is making every effort to reduce the waiting time for visa interview appointments in India as soon as possible, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. "Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. We …

US Govt Aware of Long Delays in Visa Appointments in India, Says White House
2 years ago

US Govt Aware of Long Delays in Visa Appointments in India, Says White House

News 18  

The Biden Administration is aware of the long delays in visa appointments in India and is working to respond to the ”significant demand of these visa services”, the White House said Thursday. Early this week, a presidential commission recommended President Joe Biden to consider issuing a memo to the State Department to reduce the visa appointment wait times to a …

‘Wait times for US visas are still longer than we’d like … We are working to reduce the backlog by 2023’
2 years ago

‘Wait times for US visas are still longer than we’d like … We are working to reduce the backlog by 2023’

Times of India  

A reporter for over two decades, Saurabh Sinha is currently Senior Editor at The Times of India. MORE The interview wait period for US B1 and B2 visas globally is the highest in India, at close to 1,000 days. This is when the US state department recently said the average global wait time for visitor visa category is under two …

Wait for US visa interview nears 1,000 days: Is it going to get better anytime soon?
2 years, 1 month ago

Wait for US visa interview nears 1,000 days: Is it going to get better anytime soon?

Firstpost  

According to the US State Department, the current wait time for an interview for B1/B2 applicants is at 999 days in Mumbai, 994 days in Hyderabad, 961 days in Delhi, 948 in Chennai, and 904 in Kolkata. It is important to note that these are estimates and not a guarantee of an On Tuesday, the US state department said “the …

US visa delays: Online petition urging to reduce wait time in India launched
2 years, 1 month ago

US visa delays: Online petition urging to reduce wait time in India launched

Hindustan Times  

A US-based diaspora body has launched an online campaign urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reduce the waiting time for various types of American visas being issued from India. Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies, or FIIDS, started a petition campaign on change.org, a worldwide nonprofit petition website, highlighting the contrast in wait times at the US consulates …

These US visa applicants in India are exempt from in-person interview. Details here
2 years, 9 months ago

These US visa applicants in India are exempt from in-person interview. Details here

Hindustan Times  

The United States has done away with the requirement of the in-person interview for many visa applicants in India through December 31 this year, a senior American diplomat has reportedly told Indian community leaders. The US embassy in New Delhi and its consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai will release more than 20,000 additional waiver appointments for Spring 2022 …

US waives in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants in India
2 years, 9 months ago

US waives in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants in India

Deccan Chronicle  

Washington: The United States has waived in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants, including students and workers, at its diplomatic missions in India through December 31 this year, a senior American diplomat has told Indian community leaders. This would be very helpful to our friends and immediate family members and remove a lot of their concerns and remove inconveniences," Ajay …

Facilitating Indian students' legitimate travel to US a top priority: American diplomat
3 years, 6 months ago

Facilitating Indian students' legitimate travel to US a top priority: American diplomat

India Today  

The US mission in India is "actively working" to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August, and facilitating their legitimate travel remained a top priority for it, a senior American diplomat said on Sunday. Facilitating legitimate student travel to the United States remains a top priority for the US Mission to India," Heflin told PTI …

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