US Opens 2.5 Lakh Additional Visa Appointments for Indians

New Delhi: The US diplomatic missions in India have announced the opening of an additional 2.5 lakh visa appointments for Indian travellers, including tourists, skilled workers, and students. These new slots are aimed at enabling "hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants" to secure timely interviews, according to a statement by the US Embassy.

The embassy emphasised that "facilitating travel is the backbone of the people-to-people ties that underpin the US-India relationship."

In the statement, it noted that the US Mission to India has already processed over 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 appointments at one of our five consular sections across India. We are now focused on reuniting families, connecting businesses, and promoting tourism," the statement added.

The mission highlighted that more than 1.2 million Indians have traveled to the United States so far in 2024, marking a 35 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. It also noted that at least six million Indians already hold a nonimmigrant visa, with thousands more issued daily.

US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, recently commented on the progress, saying, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden set an ambitious goal to improve and expedite the visa process, and I’m proud to say that we have delivered on that promise. Our consular teams at the embassy and four consulates work tirelessly to meet the surging demand."