New Delhi :
US visitor visa applicants can now expect a significant 60% reduction in waiting time for their visa interviews, thanks to the government’s proactive measures, which include hiring more officials and opening additional diplomatic missions to handle the increasing volume of visa applications.”
Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services,
stated that the State Department’s goal for this year is to issue over 1 million visas, surpassing the pre-pandemic levels.
Steps Taken by Government for Wait time
Julie Stufft highlighted the steps taken to reduce visa interview waiting times in India, stating, “We have increased the number of officers deployed to India and have established innovative collaborations with other embassies worldwide, such as Bangkok, to efficiently handle the high volume of visa applicants from India.”
We are also launching a new consulate in Hyderabad, with the main focus on reducing the visa waiting time for Indian applicants.
Julie Stufft noted that the embassies in Frankfurt, London, and Abu Dhabi have provided extensive assistance to Indian citizens in obtaining visas.
She elaborated, stating, “We have instructed these missions to extend the same level of treatment to Indian applicants as they do to applicants from their own host country.”
This is particularly notable in Bangkok, where Indian travelers enjoy visa-free travel and expedited processing.
Nevertheless, our ultimate aim is for Indian applicants to apply for visas within India, and we are actively working towards that objective.”
Julie Stufft highlighted that more than 100 US diplomatic missions have been actively granting visas to Indian citizens, and these concerted efforts have led to a significant 60% reduction in the waiting period for visitor visa interviews in recent months.
She further emphasized, “This reduction in waiting time is a direct outcome of our collective efforts to facilitate seamless travel for Indian visitors to the United States.”
Moreover, Julie Stufft highlighted that “Visa production in India has surged by 40% compared to pre-pandemic levels,” and underscored the State Department’s unwavering commitment to further reducing the waiting time for visa interviews.
Julie Stufft announced that the US achieved its highest visa production in India in February, and stated, “Our team is making remarkable efforts and steady progress towards our goal of issuing 1 million visas.”
She further highlighted that the State Department is also diligently working on issuing other types of visas, including student visas, as per official sources.
