US Charge d’Affaires Ambassador Elizabeth Jones has said that the US is undertaking “tremendous efforts” to solve the problem on long wait time in issuance of visas in India. She said that the problem of long wait time for visas was further triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
The newly-appointed diplomat added that the problem is particularly bad in India because of the high demand for visas. The issue is on “top of the mind” of Washington and efforts are being initiated to cut the wait time for grant of visas through recruitment and training of visa counsellors, she said at a media interaction.
This comes amid growing concerns over the long waiting period for first time visa applicants in India, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. The waiting period of first time B1/B2 visa applicants in India is close to three years.
Jones stated that tremendous recruiting and training efforts are underway right now in Washington to recruit and train vice counsellors for many places. “Our mission in India is going to get quite a number of them… By the summer, we will be fully staffed here in Delhi and in our consulates to issue visas and do these interviews,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jones also mentioned that efforts are underway to reduce and eliminate the time for issuance of H1B visas. The H-1B program applies to employers seeking to hire nonimmigrant foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
Jones also highlighted that the US issued 82,000 visas to Indian students this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
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