The US Mission in India on Saturday launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days as part of a larger effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants.
Published Date – 06:22 PM, Sun – 22 January 23
Hyderabad: The US Consulate in Hyderabad will be opened for consular operations on select Saturdays to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews. This service will also be available at the US Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
The US Mission in India on Saturday launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days as part of a larger effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants. In the coming months, the Mission will continue to open additional slots for appointments to take place on select Saturdays.
These additional interview days were a component of a multi-pronged initiative to address the backlog in visa processing caused by Covid-19 pandemic, a press release said, adding that the Department of State has implemented remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas.
Between January and March 2023, dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other Embassies will arrive in India to increase processing capacity. The Department of State is also increasing the number of consular officers permanently assigned to the Embassy and Consulates.
The US Mission in India released more than 2,50,000 additional B1/B2 appointments. The Consulate General Mumbai also extended its weekday operating hours to make space for additional appointments. By this summer, the US Mission in India will be at full staffing, and it is expected to process visas at levels from prior to the pandemic, it said.
Consulate General Mumbai currently adjudicates the most visa applications in India and is one of the largest visa operations in the world.
For more information about the visa process or to schedule a visa appointment, visit: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en.
