 "Visa interviews within standard time frame: US Consulate General Mumbai")
US Consulate General Mumbai said in a statement that it has cleared the visa backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It said that applicants can now schedule their appointments for immigrant visa interviews within the standard time frame, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).
Following the pandemic, the appointment wait time for the US visa stood at over two years. The applicants can now schedule their appointments for current slots. The statement said that over 900,000 non-immigrant visas are currently being processed and are expected to pass the one-million mark soon, according to the ET report.
Eric Garcetti, US Ambassador to India, said the wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews has been reduced by over 50 per cent. Garcetti said that the goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas.
The envoy added, "We'll find innovative solutions to streamline the visa process, such as reducing the need for in-person interviews, which allows consular teams around the world to assist in processing visas for the growing number of Indian travellers."
India and the US are focusing on making the visa process smooth. During his state visit to the US in June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Indian professionals can renew their work visas without travelling abroad.
"America's new consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It has now been decided that the H-1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself," PM Modi said.
What is H-1B visa?
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant work visa that allows US companies to hire foreign workers to work in the US for a specific period of time. The duration of stay is three years, which is extendable to six years, after which the visa holder can reapply.