Page 17 - Us Visa

LIVE: Rain, hailstorm predicted to lash NW India, Delhi next week, says IMD

Catch all the latest news and updates from around the world here

Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: US

The United States is making every effort to reduce the waiting time for visa interview appointment in India as soon as possible, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. "Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. The US issued more student visas in fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016, he said, adding that its embassy and consulates in India in particular broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year. "We issued nearly 1,25,000 student visas. We recognize that some applicants may still face extended visa wait times, and we're making every effort to further reduce visa interview appointment wait times as quickly as possible in India and around the world, including for first time tourist visa applicants," he said. Responding to a question, Price said he .

H-1B, EB-5 visa application fees to shoot up under proposed USCIS rule

H-1B visa petitioners would also need to pay $215 in pre-registration fees, up from the current $10 fee

US embassy starts 12-day visa programme; people waiting fume over backlog

Indians in queue for US visas have been left fuming even as the American embassy in Delhi started a 12-day visas programme

Efforts underway to cut wait time for issuance of visa in India: US

The US is undertaking "tremendous efforts" to solve the problem of long wait time in issuance of visas in India, US Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Elizabeth Jones said on Friday, acknowledging that the situation in the country is particularly "bad" because of the high demand. The newly-appointed diplomat also said that the issue is on the "top of the mind" of Washington and efforts being initiated to cut the wait time for grant of visas included recruitment and training of visa counsellors. There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. At a media interaction, Jones said the problem of long wait time for visas was triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, adding the long backlogs were reported from various parts of the globe. "They are particularly bad in India because the demand for visas is so high. That's one of the big elements; it's one of the big .

US visa processing likely to reach pre-pandemic levels in FY23: State dept

The US visa processing is rebounding faster than projected and is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in Fiscal Year 2023, the State Department has said, addressing the growing concern over backlog of visa applications from countries like India. The State Department said it was committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States while safeguarding national security. "The Department of State is successfully lowering visa interview wait times worldwide. We have doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel to do this important work, visa processing is rebounding faster than projected, and in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 we expect to reach pre-pandemic visa processing levels," it said in a media note on Thursday. Giving the reason behind delays, it said many applicants for US visas are required by the country's law to appear in person. However, local pandemic-era restrictions on public places like our overseas consular sections curbed our ability to see visa ...

How are visa delays hurting both India and the US?

Waiting periods for US visas are expected to ease by mid-2023. That's cold comfort for Indians facing a waiting period of up to 900 days for appointments. What has been the impact of this long queue?

US visa processing time expected to fall by mid-2023, says official

The waiting period for issuance of American visas is expected to see a significant fall by summer of 2023 and the number is projected to reach around 1.2 million, a senior official of the US embassy said on Thursday. "India is number one priority for Washington (for issuance of visas). Our aim is to bring the situation to the pre-Covid-19 level by the middle of next year," the official said. India has been one of the very few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted. Considering the long wait time for grant of visas, the US is also rolling out a series of initiatives including hiring of more personnel and increasing the "drop box" facilities, the official said. The plan is to issue around one lakh visas every month. The official said the US has already identified H (H1B) and L category visas for Indians as its priority and nearly 1,00,000 slots were released recently for those wanting to renew the ...

Diaspora group launches petition urging Blinken to reduce visa wait time

A US-based diaspora body on Tuesday launched an online petition campaign urging the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to reduce the long waitlist for various types of American visas being issued from India. "We request the State Department, Secretary of State Mr Anthony Blinken and the US embassies in India to eliminate wait times for visa appointments in India. "Even after a two-year-long Covid-era pause in visa appointments at the US embassies in India, the visa appointment situation is far from normal, requiring 300 to 900 days of wait time based on the visa types, Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies or FIIDS said launching its online petition campaign. As per travel.state.gov reports on October 31, there is an average 900+ days' wait time for appointments for visitors' visa (B1/B2), an average 400 days' wait time for students (F, M,J) and an average 300 days' wait time for petition-based temp workers like H, L, O, P and Q across the USA consulates in India (Mumbai,

People seeking US visitor visa may have to wait till 2024 for appointment

The US State Department website showed that if a person from India applies for the visitor visa today, they will get an appointment only in March-April, 2024

Indian applicants will likely have to wait longer for the US green card

A total of 369,322 applicants, who have approved employment visa petitions, are awaiting visa availability under the EB2 and EB3 categories

In peak tourist season, the queue for visas is getting impossibly long

Due to visa processing delays the representatives of travel agents plan to write to foreign embassies to highlight the problem

US embassy to resume routine tourist visa appointments from September

The US embassy on Sunday night said it will resume routine in-person tourist visa appointments from September

US to issue fresh tourist visas from September after prolonged suspension

Fresh issuance of tourist visas was suspended during the pandemic and only renewals were taking place

Ukraine raises over $15 mn in crypto post Russian invasion

These applicants eligible for the waiver are students (F, M, and academic J visas), workers (H-1, H-2, H-3, and individual L visas), Culture and extraordinary ability (O, P, and Q visas).

US waives in-person interviews for range of visas, including H-1B, for 2022

The Covid pandemic resulted in profound reductions in the Department of State's visa processing capacity

US cannot stop issuing visas during travel bans, federal judge rules

A US federal judge has declared it unlawful for the State Department to use travel bans issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as a reason to stop processing visas for otherwise eligible travellers

In boost for Indian IT, US to conduct rare 2nd lottery for H-1B applicants

The move would provide another chance to hundreds of Indian IT professionals who could not make it in the first random selection

US agency allows some H-1B visa seekers to re-submit their applications

A federal US body has announced that it will allow some foreign guest workers to re-submit their applications for the H-1B visa, the most sought-after non-immigrant visa among Indian IT professionals

US embassy to start visa appointments for Indian students from Monday

The US mission in India is 'actively working' to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August, says a senior American diplomat