New US Visa Slot Opportunities for Indians

America Current news Global Affairs India Life Style News NRI news Travel & Tourism

The United States Mission in India has announced the availability of an additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travelers, encompassing tourists, skilled professionals, and students, as stated by officials on Monday. These newly released slots are designed to assist Indian applicants in securing timely interviews, thereby facilitating travel that is essential to the strong people-to-people connections that form the foundation of the US-India relationship. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden have set an ambitious objective to enhance and streamline the visa process, and he expressed pride in the achievement of this commitment. He noted that the consular teams at the embassy and its four consulates are diligently working to accommodate the increasing demand. In 2024, over 1.2 million Indians have traveled to the United States, reflecting a 35 percent rise compared to the same timeframe in 2023.

The US Mission to India has exceeded one million nonimmigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year. “During our student visa season this summer, we continued to process record numbers, and all first-time student applicants were able to secure an appointment at one of our five consular sections across India,” stated the US Embassy in a recent announcement. The focus now is on reuniting families, fostering business connections, and promoting tourism. Currently, at least six million Indians hold a nonimmigrant visa to travel to the United States, with the Mission issuing thousands more each day. The post-COVID period has seen a significant increase in visa applications across all categories, prompting the US to implement measures since late 2021 to reduce the waiting time for interviews. However, the high volume of applications has resulted in a waiting period of over a year for visitor visa interviews at many US missions, a notable improvement from the nearly three-year wait experienced at the end of 2021. The US has granted over 140,000 student visas to Indian nationals, surpassing any other country and marking a record for the third consecutive year, as reported by the US Embassy and Consulates earlier this year.