US Embassy opens additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian tourists, students. Here are all details

The US Mission to India opened an additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travellers, including tourists, skilled workers and students. 

The recently released new slots will help hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants take timely interviews, facilitating the travel, which is the backbone of the people-to-people ties that underpin the US-India relationship, US embassy in New Delhi announced in an official statement on September 30. 

The US Mission to India has already surpassed 10 lakh non-immigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year, according to the official statement. 

“During our student visa season this summer, we continued to process record numbers, and all first-time student applicants were able to obtain an appointment at one of our five consular sections around India. We are now focused on bringing families together, connecting businesses, and facilitating tourism,” it added. 

More than 12 lakh Indians have travelled to the United States year to date in 2024, a 35 percent increase over the same period in 2023, the Embassy said. 

Earlier, the US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said, “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 ensure that we meet the surging demand.” 

Indians have already become the largest group of international graduate students in the US and make up more than a quarter of the over one million foreign students studying in the US. The US retains its place among the top four destinations preferred by Indian students, besides Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. 

Meanwhile, Australia will begin offering up to 1,000 work and holiday visas each year to Indian citizens from October 1, as part of its commitment under the India-Australia interim free trade agreement.  

The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) came into effect from December 2022. Under the ECTA, Indian nationals aged 18-30 years can apply for a one-year visa to work, study, and travel across Australia.