The US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record 1.4 million US visas in 2023 bringing down visitor visa appointment wait times by 75 per cent, per the US government.

“Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 per cent increase in applications compared to 2022.  Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world,” according to a statement issued by the US Embassy and Consulates in India on Monday.

The increased demand for visas was met through a three-month staffing surge in Mumbai early in the year, by increased permanent staff levels, and through the employment of innovative technical solutions, it said.  “Process improvements and investments in staffing have brought the appointment wait time for visitor visas down from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days around the country.  Wait times are minimal in all other categories,” the statement added.

Noting the rebound in visitor visas (B1/B2), the note pointed out that over 7,00,000 such visas were applied for representing the second highest number of applications in the US Mission’s history. 

student visas

Over 1.4 lakh student visas were issued in 2023, which was more than in any other country in the world, setting a record for the third year in a row.  Taken individually, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai now stand as the top four student visa processing posts in the world.  As a result of these surging numbers, Indian students have 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 country, the note said.

Employment visas, too, were given priority, with the Consular Team India consolidating most petition-based visa processing in Chennai and Hyderabad to increase efficiency, leading to the processing of over 380,000 employment visas for Indians and their family members in 2023 and allowing the U.S. Mission to maintain a minimal appointment wait time, the statement pointed out.  In 2024, a pilot program will allow eligible H-1B holders to renew their visas in the US, further streamlining the process for this group.

Consulate General Mumbai eliminated a queue of over 31,000 immigrant visa cases delayed by the pandemic.  “Those who have a pending immigrant visa petition and are ready for scheduling can now obtain an appointment within the standard, pre-pandemic appointment window,” it added.

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