‘High demand’: US on 3-year wait time for issuance of visas to Indians

New Delhi: 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.
Also Read US visa appointment wait times near 1000 days At a media interaction, Jones said the problem of long wait times 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 differences,” she said.
Jones also noted that tremendous recruiting and training efforts are underway right now in Washington to recruit and train vice counsellors for many many places.