The US Ambassador to India affirms that the record-breaking volume of visa processing will be sustained in the upcoming months.
“In 2023, the US Mission to India has successfully processed over a million non-immigrant visa applications, exceeding its annual target, according to the US government. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, emphasized the significance of the US-India partnership and pledged to maintain the high volume of visa processing in the coming months to provide more Indians with the opportunity to visit the United States and strengthen the bilateral friendship.
The Mission has already surpassed its total cases processed in 2022 and is currently handling nearly 20% more applications than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Last year, over 1.2 million Indians visited the United States, solidifying it as one of the world’s most robust travel relationships. India now accounts for over 10% of all global visa applicants, with 20% seeking student visas and 65% pursuing H&L-category employment visas.
To address long wait times, which sometimes exceeded a year for certain US visa applicants in India, the Mission has expanded its staffing and improved facilities, including the inauguration of a new Consulate building in Hyderabad and capital enhancements to the US Consulate in Chennai. The Mission has also implemented efficiency-boosting strategies, such as extending interview waiver eligibility to new visa categories and enabling remote work for staff worldwide to contribute to Indian visa processing.
Additionally, the Mission plans to introduce a pilot program early next year that will allow qualified H&L-category employment visa applicants to renew their visas domestically, further streamlining the visa application process.”
Soure: thehindubusinessline
