Finance
The US said it has issued 36% more visas to Indians this year than in pre-Covid-19 pandemic times, owing to a “top priority” of reducing wait times, which has included unprecedented steps such as remote processing of applications from India, sometimes all the way in Washington D.C.
The longest wait time, typically for first-time visitors, has been reduced from over 1,000 days to around 580 as a result of such measures, which also include interview waivers for repeat visitors, increased staffing at consular operations in Indian missions, and “Super Saturdays” when mission staff simply process visas all day.
From summer stateside renewal of visas will be allowed in some categories on a pilot basis.
“It is the number one priority that we’re facing right now,” said Julie Stufft, the senior official of the State Department’s consular operations, told reporters while referring to the extraordinary delays in the processing of US visas in India.
“We are absolutely committed to getting us out of the situation where people — anyone in India — seeking a visa appointment or a visa would have to wait a lengthy time at all. That’s certainly not our ideal.”
As a result of these efforts so far this year, Stufft said further” “We’ve issued 36 per cent more visas than we did before the pandemic in India. Just to say that again, 36 per cent more visas processed now than during the before the pandemic in normal times and that is a huge percentage increase and I think it will actually go up as the year goes on. It’s only February.”
Long wait times for US visa processing post-pandemic, particularly for first-time visitors, have become a key issue in the bilateral relationship, as raised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the most recent 2+2 meeting of the two countries’ Foreign and Defense Ministers in Washington D.C. last September.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously assured him that the US had a plan in place to address the issue.
Frustration over the visa delays had prompted many Indians to wonder whether they were symptoms or manifestations of deeper issues in the bilateral relationship. And there was a widespread belief that the delay was deliberate.
“We are keenly aware of the public perception this has generated and created in India and in part, what we’re doing today is to try and address that misperception that somehow the US is no longer welcoming of Indian students or Indian businessman or Indian visitors writ large and this really is a systemic problem,” said Nancy Jackson, a senior official of the state department’s South and Central Asia bureau, in response to question.
The delays were caused by the consular operations being closed for more than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Globally, all US operations were impacted. However, the situation in India was the worst of all because of the sheer volume of visa applications from Indians for all categories — from B1/B2 tourist visas to H-1B and L work visas and others.
Delays in most of these categories, according to officials, have been addressed to a large extent due to interview waivers for repeat visitors.
Their applications are handled remotely by US missions all over the world.
“So right now today we have dozens and dozens of officers around the world and here in Washington right down the street doing Indian thesis on behalf of our mission in India,” Stufft said.
This frees up consular personnel in India to conduct first-time visitor interviews.
Indians are also encouraged to apply for visas at US missions in other countries, according to officials, who acknowledge that the situation is far from ideal.
Over 100 US embassies around the world have processed Indian visa applications.
Source:OCN
