US Embassy launches new regulations to Reduce US Visa Time for Indians
A big relief for Indians
The visa process for Indian citizens looking to travel to the United States on cheap flights to USA from India can be lengthy and complicated.
According to a report, the average waiting time for a US visa appointment in India still sums up to around 500 days. Consequently, the US embassy in India advises Indian citizens to make an appointment with the US embassy before planning to travel abroad or to a consulate of their final destination.
New Regulations to Lessen Long Visa Wait Times – US Visa Appointments at Foreign Missions
The US embassy in India tweeted that Indians planning international travel may be able to get a visa appointment at the US embassy or consulate in their destination.
For example, the US Embassy in Bangkok has made B1 and B2 appointment slots available for Indians visiting Thailand in the coming months.
“Do you have any international travel plans? If this is the case, you may be able to obtain a visa appointment at the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.”
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Reduce Delays with a Special Saturday Interview
To help reduce visa delays, the US has taken several additional steps. These include organizing special interviews for first-time applicants, expanding the number of diplomatic mission workers, and holding “special Saturday interview days” at the US consulate in Delhi and consulates in Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
Instances of Interview Waiver Processing are Processed Remotely
The US State Department has implemented remote processing of interview waiver instances for applicants with prior US visas.
More B1/B2 appointments available
Over 250,000 new B1 and B2 appointments have recently been published by the US mission in India.
Reducing Waiting Times for Indians
According to a senior US visa officer, the US is “attempting to put every bit of extra of its energy” into lowering India’s lengthy visa wait times. This means posting a diplomatic missions team to India and widening other overseas embassies to Indian citizens seeking visas, such as those in Germany and Thailand. Visit Flyopedia.ca for cheapflight offers from Canada to India.
Increased Demand in India for US Visas
Following the removal of coronavirus-related travel restrictions, India was one of the few countries where applications for US visas increased significantly.
However, concerns have grown in India about the long wait times for first-time visa applicants, particularly those applying under the B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories, which had a nearly three-year waiting period in October of last year.
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