US Opens Up Appointments for B1/B2 Visa Applicants in These 3 Cities; Check Current Wait Time

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posted on 1 year ago — updated on 1 second ago

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At present, the wait time for an appointment for B1/B2 interview waiver appointments is 233 days in Delhi, 297 in Mumbai and 171 days in Chennai

In a good news for people who are seeking B1/B2 visa, the US Embassy in India on Monday announced that it will open new slots for visa applicants in the category who are eligible waivers.

“Looking for a B1/B2 interview waiver (dropbox) visa appointment? Good news! We’ve opened a number of B1/B2 interview waiver appointments for the coming month in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Book now in time for holiday travel,” the US Embassy in India tweeted.

Looking for a B1/B2 interview waiver (dropbox) visa appointment? Good news! We’ve opened a number of B1/B2 interview waiver appointments for the coming month in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Book now in time for holiday travel.— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) November 28, 2022

At present, the wait time for an appointment for B1/B2 interview waiver appointments is 233 days in Delhi, 297 in Mumbai and 171 days in Chennai, Economic Times reported.

The waiting time for first-time applicants of- B-1 (business) and B-2 (and tourist)- visas in India has gone up to almost three years. The queue for US visas for Indians has been exceptionally long since the country resumed application processing post-pandemic.

Notably, in the past two months, the US has taken numerous steps to reduce the waiting period for Indians. But, given the huge backlog due to the pandemic travel ban and the huge number of applications from the county, it is expected to take several months before the interview appointment wait period falls.

Recently, a senior official from the US Embassy in Delhi said that to expedite visa processing in India, the country is making more applicants eligible for interview waivers, along with sending dropbox cases abroad for adjudication and getting temporary staffers, according to a report by Economic Times.

As per the report, while visa applications are almost back to pre-Covid numbers, staffing at US missions in India to process the same are likely to get back to that level only by late next summer.

The official advised that applicants facing almost 1,000 days of interview wait time in India should keep applying. “Once the line starts moving and wait time drops, they can advance their interview date without any fees,” they said.

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