By mid-2023, the processing time for US visas for India would be shortened
India is one of the select few nations whose applications for US visas increased significantly as a result of travel restrictions connected to the coronavirus.
According to a senior official of the US embassy, the number of visas scheduled to be issued and the waiting period for them both are predicted to drop significantly by the summer of 2023, reaching approximately 1.2 million.
"India is Washington's top priority (for issuance of visas). By the middle of the following year, we hope to have the situation back to how it was before COVID-19 "added the official.
One of the few nations where applications for US visas increased significantly after travel restrictions relating to the coronavirus were abolished was India.
The US is also launching a number of efforts, including adding more staff and expanding the "drop box" facilities, the official added, in light of the lengthy wait times for visa approval.
Every month, approximately 1 lakh visas are expected to be issued.
According to the official, the US has already designated Indians' H (H1B) and L category visas as a top priority, and recently, approximately 1,000,000 spots were made available for individuals who wanted to renew their visas.
For some categories, the wait time has already decreased from 450 days to about nine months.
According to the official, the B1, B2 (business and tourist) visa wait times have also decreased from almost nine months.
The official added that when it comes to the quantity of visas given by the US, India is anticipated to jump from third place to second. India is currently behind Mexico and China. According to the official, priority is also being given to shorten the wait times for student visas, particularly for those who need to renew their visas.
The drop box facility is a method for renewing a US visa without having to go through the interview process. Generally, applicants who have held a US visa within the previous four years are eligible to use the drop box facility.
Over 82,000 visas were awarded by the US in the previous year.By next summer, "we are looking at 1.1 to 1.2 million visas to Indians," the official declared.
The issue of lengthy visa wait times for the US has been brought up by India with the US.
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