The US Embassy in India has made changes to its visa appointment procedures, particularly concerning B-1/B-2 interview waiver appointments in New Delhi. On a post on X, the US Embassy in India said, that B-1/B-2 interview waiver appointments will now be consolidated in New Delhi.
Nonemigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas are available for those who want to briefly enter the United States for tourism (visa category B-2), business (visa category B-1), or a mix of both (visa category B-1/B-2).
Applicants can still submit their application forms at any of the five Visa Application Centers free of cost. Alternatively, they have the option to drop their documents at any US Document Dropoff Center in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Cochin, Jalandhar, or Pune for a fee of 850 rupees per application.
In a statement, the Embassy explained, "Planning to book a visitor visa appointment using our convenient interview waiver process? You might notice something new. As part of our continuing effort to streamline visa processing, we've consolidated B-1/B-2 interview waiver appointments in New Delhi going forward."
The Embassy assured that interview waiver appointments will be readily available in New Delhi for eligible applicants seeking a visitor visa. However, due to this consolidation, limited interview waiver appointments will be available for visitor visas in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Nevertheless, applicants need not worry as appointments remain accessible in New Delhi for those eligible for the interview waiver process.
The Embassy clarified, "You will not be required to travel to New Delhi unless you are later found ineligible to use the interview waiver process."
Highlighting the surge in visa processing, the US Consular Team in India processed a record 1.4 million US visas in 2023, marking a significant increase. This achievement has led to a reduction of visitor visa appointment wait times by 75 percent.
Furthermore, the Embassy and Consulates in India emphasized the growing number of Indian visa applicants, stating, "In 2023, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record-smashing 1.4 million US visas. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 percent increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world."
Visitor visas (B-1/B-2) have rebounded, constituting the second-highest number of applications in the US Mission's history, exceeding 700,000. Improved processes and increased staffing have significantly reduced appointment wait times for visitor visas from an average of 1,000 days to just 250 days nationwide, with minimal wait times across all categories.
