Long wait in India, US Consulate in Frankfurt allocates visa interviews for Indians
Long wait in India, US Consulate in Frankfurt allocates visa interviews for Indians.
The US Consulate in Frankfurt has taken measures to address the growing backlog of visa applications from Indian nationals by allocating non-immigrant visa interview appointments specifically for Indian applicants. The move aims to alleviate the prolonged wait times that have been a cause of concern for many Indian travellers.
Currently, the wait times for visa interview appointments for visitors pursuing business (B1) and tourist (B2) visas in India vary, ranging from 15 to 20 months. This extended waiting period, exacerbated by a rising number of applicants, has posed substantial challenges for Indian citizens planning trips to the United States for either business or leisure purposes.
Notably, the waiting period for a B1/B2 interview appointment varies by state within India. In stark contrast, the US Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, boasts an astonishingly short wait time of only three days.
In specific terms, the waiting period in Kolkata stands at a staggering 607 days, followed by 571 days in Mumbai, 486 days in Chennai, and 441 days in Hyderabad. The efficiency of the US Consulate in Frankfurt is evident with its mere three-day waiting period.
The primary reason behind the extended wait times in India can be attributed to the soaring demand for US visas among Indian nationals. The United States remains a highly sought-after destination for Indian travellers, both for business ventures and tourism. However, the number of available visa interview slots at US consulates and embassies across India remains limited.
As a measure to alleviate the backlog, Indian applicants were allowed to apply for US visas at consulates abroad, such as Bangkok, last year. The backlog has been gradually reduced through a series of phases after experiencing a nearly threefold increase during the preceding winter.
In addition to the backlog, Indian applicants have encountered challenges associated with a new platform for scheduling non-immigrant visa interview appointments. A spokesperson from the US embassy assured that the government is diligently working to address these issues promptly.
The US mission in India has already granted over 3.3 lakh petition-based temporary employment visas since the beginning of the fiscal year, marking a remarkable 71 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019.
According to a US embassy official, the waiting times for all non-immigrant visa categories in India are now comparable to pre-pandemic levels. “We have significantly increased the number of visas issued across the board. Waiting times for travelers who do not require an interview are very low,” said the official as quoted by Business Today.
Meanwhile, the US embassy is actively monitoring reports of technical challenges associated with the non-immigrant visa appointment website and has pledged to resolve these issues expeditiously.