The United States Department of State (DHS) is working to reduce the wait times for visa appointments for Indians planning to travel to the United States, the US Bureau of Consular Affairs has said.
In 2023, the United States Embassy in India processed a total of 1.4 million visas, with the wait times declining for most visa categories by a total of 75 percent, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to a report from Boundless, the only category that is still experiencing delays in available visa appointments is the B-1/B-2 tourist visa, in particular for first-time visitors to the United States.
Last year, the Embassy in India processed 1.4 million visas, an explosion of an incredible number…in every category, there is no wait time at all except in one area of travel where there is still some wait time, and that is people traveling for the first time to the United States for tourism.
Bitter also highlighted that in addition to tourist and student visas, the Assistant Secretary also talked about the importance of supporting Indian workers on H-1B status and about how the new H-1B visa renewal pilot program would help facilitate the immigration process and also reduce wait times for many Indian workers in the US.
In addition, recent data from the US Department of State revealed that a notable improvement was seen in the handling of pending EB-5 applications, especially for Indian applicants.
According to the Visa Bulletin for January 2024, the final action date for India has moved forward by two years, from December 2018 to December 2020.
Biden Administration Working to Improve Visa Backlogs
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, is doing everything to improve the H-1B visa process, green card backlog, and other issues related to the country’s legal immigration system.
The H-1B visa or the Person in Specialty Occupation visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
One of the steps, if we look at the H1B visa process, we have taken action to improve that and the process and backlog for lawful permanent residents (green card) who are eligible to become US citizens.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 10.9 million fillings and completed more than 10 million pending cases in the fiscal year 2023. The figures revealed that the USCIS reduced its backlogs by a total of 15 percent for the first time in over a decade.