New Delhi: The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India processed the most visas ever in the year 2023. With a record 1.4 million U.S. visas processed last year, the wait times for visitor visa appointments were reduced by 75%.

According to the US embassy, Indians now represent one out of every ten U.S. visa applicants around the world. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60% increase in applications compared to 2022.

With over 700,000 applications, Visitor visas (B1/B2) have rebounded to represent the second-highest volume of applications in the history of the U.S. Mission.”The U.S. Embassy and Consulates met this demand through a three-month staffing surge in Mumbai early in the year, by increased permanent staff levels, and through the employment of innovative technical solutions. Process improvements and investments in staffing have brought the appointment wait time for visitor visas down from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days around the country. Wait times are minimal in all other categories,” said an official statement.

In the year 2023, the U.S. consular team in India granted over 140,000 student visas, surpassing any other country globally and establishing a record for the third consecutive year. The statement said “Taken individually, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai now stand as the top four student visa processing posts in the world. As a result of these surging numbers, Indian students have become the largest group of international graduate students in the United States and make up more than a quarter of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States.”

With the employment visas remaining a top priority the Consular Team in India streamlined the processing of most petition-based visas in Chennai and Hyderabad for improved efficiency. This effort resulted in the issuance of over 380,000 employment visas for Indians and their family members in 2023, while also ensuring minimal wait times for appointments at the U.S. Mission.

“In 2024, a pilot program will allow eligible H1B holders to renew their visas in the United States, further streamlining the process for this group,” the US embassy said.

Consulate General Mumbai eliminated a queue of over 31,000 immigrant visa cases delayed by the pandemic. Those who have a pending immigrant visa petition and are ready for scheduling can now obtain an appointment within the standard, pre-pandemic appointment window.

“The U.S. Mission continues to invest in the future of consular services in India and explore ways to provide more efficient and convenient services. These investments have included the opening of a new $340 million dollar facility in Hyderabad in March 2023, the announcement of two new consulates in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, continued capital improvements to our facilities around the country, and the permanent assignment of more consular officers to India,”  the embassy made the statement. DeshGujarat