In a briefing on Tuesday, US officials outlined moves that have already cut visa wait times from more than 1,000 days to 580 days, while acknowledging that further reductions are needed. Measures taken include increasing staffing at the US embassy and consulates in India, waiving “low-risk” travelers from interviews, including those who have previously visited the US, and directing embassies and consulates in other countries, such as Thailand, where waiting times are only a few days, accept visa applications from Indians.
Further steps include a pilot program starting in the summer to reinstate national visa renewals, halted in 2004, which will save guest workers from having to go home to renew their visas.
“We are absolutely committed to getting ourselves out of the situation,” said the US deputy assistant secretary Visa services Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Julie Stufft told reporters and Indian-American community leaders at the briefing, describing it as a “once-in-a-lifetime situation.”
Officials attributed the extended wait times not only to the Covid year arrears but also to India’s massive demand for US visas which is inherently different from any other country and reflects strong people-to-people ties.
“The people-to-people ties between our two nations are truly the foundation of what is one of the most consequential relationships in the world…we cannot stress this enough and therefore addressing waiting times (issues) is critical to not only maintaining these ties between people, but also to expand that space,” Deputy Assistant Secretary for India Nancy Jackson he said, adding that the matter is a top priority for Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s officials.
Officials held the briefing at the initiative of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) which has been working to resolve the impasse that has disrupted tens of thousands of students, guest workers, business people and families. The disruption has been exacerbated by the growing number of pink slips in the tech sector, where Indian guest workers on H1B visas who are made redundant must find alternative employment within two months or self-deport.
Officials said US missions have issued 36% more visas to India than before the COVID-19 pandemic in India, and while that’s a huge percentage of progress, wait times are still not ideals. Staff have also flocked to India and their ‘super Saturday’ and working weekend haven’t been adequate to deal with the problem, so the office is doing something it hasn’t done in almost 20 years – a visa renewal nationally or in the United States. Renewal options will be available to H-1B, H-4, L-1 and L-2 visa holders and may eventually be extended to other categories.
Officials declined to disclose rising staff numbers in India, but dozens of temporary consular officials from Washington and other embassies are said to have been despatched to India to boost processing capacity.
