The US Mission in India has opened 250,000 additional visa appointments for Indian travellers, including tourists, skilled workers, and students. These new slots are expected to help Indian applicants secure timely interviews, promoting travel between the two nations, which is a vital element of US-India relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden set an ambitious goal to improve and expedite the visa process. Now Consular teams at the embassy and four consulates will work tirelessly to ensure that the surging demand is met in the future.

The mission has already surpassed one million nonimmigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year. During the student visa season, this summer, record numbers of visas were processed, with first-time student applicants successfully securing appointments at one of the five consular sections in India.

Now with this recent new development:

1. Indian students planning to study in the US will have more opportunities to secure timely visa interviews.
2. Skilled workers and professionals travelling for business purposes can benefit from quicker visa processing.
3. Families separated across borders will be able to use these additional slots to expedite visa interviews, helping them reunite as soon as possible.
4. Indian tourists planning to visit the US can now get their visas processed much expeditiously.
5. The additional appointments aim to reduce the existing backlog of increased demand for US visas from India.

More than 1.2 million Indians have travelled to the US in 2024 so far, a 35% rise compared to the same period last year. Currently, at least six million Indians hold non-immigrant visas to visit the United States, with the Mission issuing thousands more each day.
Indian students now form the largest group of international graduate students in the US, making up over 25% of the one million foreign students studying there.

The US continues to be one of the top four destinations preferred by Indian students, alongside Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In 2023, the US issued more than 1.4 lakh student visas to Indians, surpassing any other country for the third consecutive year, as confirmed by figures from the US Embassy and Consulates in India.

I think that this move by the US is the direct result of ” MODI FOREIGN DIPLOMACY ” ( aided by the Foreign Minister Mr Jaishankar)and his meeting with Joe Biden recently. With sheer tact and diplomacy, Modi has ensured the opening of 250,000 additional appointments which will ensure support to Indian travellers, including families and students, seeking to visit the US.

I am also of the opinion that while this move is positive, more work remains to be done in addressing visa backlogs, wait times and green card backlog reduction. Video appointments to streamline the process should also be given top priority to expedite the visa process.