US increases staff strength, opens new consulates in India to reduce visa delays

The US is increasing the staff strength and opening new consulates to reduce waiting time for visa issuance from India, confirmed US Ambassador Eric Garcetti. The new consulates will come up in Ahmedabad, while one consulate was recently opened in Hyderabad. 

In an interactive session organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Garcetti said, "I had a look at the new premises for establishing a consulate in Ahmedabad yesterday. Some more people have already joined the Hyderabad consulate as we are increasing the staff strength in the city and premises are being taken up in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad for setting up new consulates.”

He also said that the US embassy is likely to issue 10-15 per cent more visas than usual in the current calendar year. The number of visas issued in India also increased one-third in recent weeks, Garcetti said. 

The delay in issuance of visas was due to the large number of applicants, said the Ambassador, further adding that other large countries such as Mexico and Brazil also faced similar issues. 

Meanwhile, the US Embassy also announced that its India team processed more visa applications in 2023 than in any previous year. “We'll be serving thousands of students, workers, tourists, and more in the coming weeks just in time for the busy holiday travel season,” it said on social media. 

Indian applicants faced long delays in issuance of US visas, primarily due to the large volume of applications. The Joe Biden administration had expanded its visa waiver programme further to reduce wait times for appointments. It had, in April, said that travelers with clearance received or department authorisation on their previous visas can use the visa interview waiver process to apply for a new visa.

The Biden administration also announced that Indian professionals would not be required to leave the US for the renewal of their H-1B visas. 

In June, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said US consular teams have been making a huge push to process as many visa applications as possible in India, including in those visa categories that are key to the bilateral relationship. He called it a top priority in an interaction with reporters. 

There were reports of discussions on issuance of visas during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US. 

(With PTI inputs)

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