The U.S. Embassy and Indian consulates will begin student visa interviews starting in mid-November, Don Heflin, Counselor to the Minister of Consular Affairs, the U.S. Embassy said Thursday.
The United States will also open 100,000 positions in the next few weeks for H and L worker visa applicants, mainly in box cases.
This is especially true for first-time applicants.
“There are people in the United States with H or L visas who have not been able to return home to visit families since the start of Covid. We feel sorry for them,” Heflin said.
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The embassy also announced that it will take special measures to reduce waiting times for B1/B2 visas, used by tourists and businessmen, over the next few months. These visas have a current waiting time of over 800 days.
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For students, the embassy will conduct interviews from mid-November to the end of December. The first tranche of bookings will open in mid-October and the remainder will open in mid-November.
The positions require F, M visas. J visas will be given priority line, it was announced.
“We will be able to go back to 100% recruitment next year,” Heflin said of the delay, adding that embassies and consulates will be able to process more visas than before. by 2023.
The travel plans of thousands of Indians have been delayed in key US visa categories including B-1/B-2 visitor visas and H-1B and H-4 work permit visas. However, the good news for Indian students is that, with valid F-1 student visas, returning to the United States after visiting India or another country is easy and does not require any additional visa or interview.
After a two-year hiatus, the United States has finally opened interview slots for new visa applicants.
“Visa appointments are now open for all categories! But due to high demand, wait times are significant,” the US Embassy in India tweeted.
The waiting period for Indians seeking US visitor visas has exceeded 800 days, according to the US State Department website. The waiting period is approximately 400 days for student/exchange visitor visas and other nonimmigrant visas.
