Update: Now, US visa applications can be accepted outside India. Details here

Most people applying for US visas right now have over 500 days of wait time until their appointment.

Published on: Feb 5, 2023, 22:52:35 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Sharmita Kar

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With many travellers still years behind on getting their US visa appointment, the United States is making every effort to shorten this duration. In its latest initiative to cut the backlog, the US Embassy in India has announced that those planning a trip to the Americas can now apply for a business or tourist visa through the US embassy or consulate of another country. Most people applying for US visas right now have over 500 days of wait time until their appointment.

United States has launched a new initiative to reduce the wait time for Indian visas. ((PTI File Photo))

Citing the example of Thailand, the US embassy in India tweeted, “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months.”

Meanwhile, the embassy has also announced that applications to renew US visas can be submitted via file-hosting service Dropbox now, while clarifying that renewal requests would not be accepted via e-mails.

More than 1 lakh visa applications have been processed in the month of January alone this year, which is more than any month since July 2019, the mission noted.

The US embassy and its consulates in India are preparing to receive a fresh record number of visa applications from students, according to a PTI report. US embassy and consulates in India already broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single year in 2022, top US State department official Ned Price had earlier informed.

The country is also expecting other visa applications to increase – to around 1.2 million this year – making India the second-largest country for US visa ops after China, as per the PTI report.

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