The US Mission to India in a statement released on Monday (September 29) said that the US has “opened an additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travellers, including tourists, skilled workers, and students.”
“The recently released new slots will help hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants take timely interviews, facilitating travel, which is the backbone of the people-to-people ties that underpin the US-India relationship,” the statement added.
The announcement comes days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited United States and met President Joe Biden on the sidelines of Quad Summit and 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
The U.S. Mission to India has opened an additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travelers, including tourists, skilled workers, and students. pic.twitter.com/DnPYNNkONN
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) September 30, 2024
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden set an ambitious goal to improve and expedite the visa process and I’m proud to say that we have delivered on that promise. Our consular teams at the embassy and four consulates work tirelessly to ensure that we meet the surging demand,” a statement from US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, read.
“The US Mission to India has already surpassed one million nonimmigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year. During our student visa season this summer, we continued to process record numbers, and all first-time student applicants were able to obtain an appointment at one of our five consular sections around India,” a post shared by the US Embassy in India said.
As per the statement from the US Mission, in 2024 so far, over 1.2 million Indians have travelled to the United States, marking a 35% rise compared to the same time frame in 2023. Currently, at least six million Indians hold non-immigrant visas to visit the US, and every day, the US Mission is issuing thousands more, the statement added.
(With inputs from agencies)
Prapti Upadhayay
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