As part of this recovery, the US government is prioritizing national interest and repeat travel. For example, this summer, the US mission in India issued a record-breaking 82,000 student visas, the official added.
Additionally, the US Embassy official shared that they are also ramping up processing of B1/B2 business and tourism visas. By next summer, the US mission in India is going to be much closer to 100 per cent staffing, which should significantly reduce visa wait times.
Chose cities with lower waiting time
Travel agents, on the other hand, are suggesting people to apply in cities that have relatively lower waiting periods. “The visa crunch in the short term is not leading to travel slackening as all west-bound flights are full in September, which earlier used to be a very lean travel month. North America economy return fares are close to Rs 2 lakh at the moment,” Anil Kalsi, Travel Agents Federation of India joint secretary, said.
He noted that the delay is not for repeat visas for US as the drop box system is working well. The issue is being faced by first time visitor visa applicants. They are unable to plan trips to the US.
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