Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: US
2 min read
A State Department spokesperson stated on Wednesday that “the United States is making every effort to reduce the visa interview appointment time in India as early as possible.” “We expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels over the coming year,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. “Visa processing is recovering faster than expected.”
He said that in the fiscal year 2022, the United States issued more student visas than in any other year since 2016, and that, in particular, its embassy and consulates in India broke their record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year.
“We issued nearly 1,25,000 students visas. “We are making every effort to further reduce visa interview appointment wait times as soon as possible in India and around the world. Including first-time tourist visa applicants,” he stated. “Also, we recognize that some applicants may still face extended visa wait times.”
Efforts to reduce visa interview appointment time
Responding to a question, Price said he certainly understands the frustration of those who have long wait times. I can inform you that reducing the backlog and, ultimately, the wait times is a top priority for the Secretary and the Department. He stated, “We are committed to preserving national security and making it easier for nonimmigrant travelers to travel legally.”
“As well as the administration’s goal of family reunification, we are aware that timely visa processing is crucial to the US economy. “We’re still working to respond to the significant demand for visa services,” he added. “We’ve made great strides in recovering from pandemic-related closures and staffing challenges.”
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Price stated that as pandemic restrictions have eased worldwide and travelers seek opportunities to travel to the United States. Moreover, the demand for visa services has only increased.
“All over the world, we are successfully reducing visa wait times. To complete this crucial task, we have doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel. In response to a question, he stated, “We expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels over the coming year”. Visa processing is recovering faster than projected.
