• India is number one priority for Washington for issuance of visas, says official

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The waiting period for getting an interview appointment for a US visa in the B1 and the B2 categories (business and tourism) currently stands at 37 days in Delhi, according to official data.

The US State Department on its website has shared the estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment for visas at a US embassy or consulate.

According to the data updated November 1 on the website, the current waiting period for getting an interview appointment for an American visa in the B1 and the B2 categories stands at 37 days in Delhi, 322 days in Mumbai, 126 days in Kolkata, 341 days in Chennai and 511 days in Hyderabad. Visitor visas are non-immigrant visas for persons who want to enter the US temporarily for business (visa category B1), for tourism (visa category B2), or for a combination of both purposes (B1/B2). The US Embassy in India on Wednesday had posted on X that over the weekend “we opened over a quarter million non-immigrant visa appointments”.

“It was a busy weekend for our consular team! Over the weekend we opened over a quarter million non-immigrant visa appointments! Book yours today at ustraveldocs.com/in/en #HereToServe,” it posted.

In November last year, a senior official of the US embassy had said the waiting period for issuing of American visas is expected to see a significant fall by the summer of 2023 and the number of visa applications is projected to reach around 1.2 million.

“India is number one priority for Washington (for issuance of visas). Our aim is to bring the situation to the pre-COVID-19 level by the middle of next year,” the official had said.

India has been one of the very few countries where applications for US visas had seen a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted.

The official had also said the wait time for B1 and B2 (business and tourism) visas was also being brought down from around nine months. New Delhi in the past has been taking up with Washington the issue of long waiting periods for US visas.
(Source: PTI)