US visa processing time likely to significantly fall by mid-2023
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US visa processing time: The waiting period for issuance of American visas is expected to see a huge fall by the summer of 2023 and the number of visa applications is projected to reach around 1.2 million, a senior authority of the US embassy said on Thursday.
“India is the number one priority for Washington (for issuance of visas). Our aim is to bring the situation to the pre-Covid-19 level by the middle of the next year,” the authority said.
India has been a very rare example of a nation where applications for US visas. It saw a significant rise after Covid related travel restrictions were lifted.
Considering the long wait time for the grant of visas, the US is also carrying out a series of initiatives. Including recruiting more personnel and increasing the “dropbox” facilities, the official said.
The plan is to give around one lakh visas consistently.
The authority said the US has already identified H (H1B) and L-category visas for Indians. As its need and almost 1,00,000 slots were delivered recently for those wanting to renew their visas.
The wait time for specific categories has previously been carried down to close to nine months from the prior 450 days.
US visa processing time
The authority said the wait time for B1, and B2 (business and the travel industry) visas are additionally being brought down from about 9 months.
The authority also said that India is expected to move to the number two place. From the ongoing number three in terms of the number of visas being given by the US.
As of now, Mexico and China are ahead of India.
The US will at first focus on candidates utilizing the “dropbox” facility.
The authority said the need is also being concurred to cutting the waiting time for the students’ visas. Particularly for those searching for a renewal of their visas.
The process used to apply for renewal of a US visa without a visa interview is known as the drop box facility.
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Extensively, the candidates having a US visa within a visa of the most recent four years are eligible for the dropbox facility.
The US gave around 82,000 visas in the last year
New Delhi has been taking up with Washington the issue of long waiting time periods for US visas.
“We are looking at 1.1 to 1.2 million visa applications to Indians by the following summer,” the authority said.
