India ‘number one’ priority, have reduced wait time for visa: US Visa officials

US Visa officials on Wednesday said that India is the United States’ number one priority, while adding that after the Covid-19 pandemic , there has been a rise of round 36 percent in visa processing across the country.

While addressing a media interaction organised by Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies on Tuesday, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs Julie Stufft said, “India is the number one priority that we are facing right now. We are absolutely committed to getting out of this situation.

“Anyone in India seeking a visa appointment or visa have to wait for that’s not certainly our ideal. So far this year, we have issued 36 per cent more visas than we did before the COVID pandemic in India. And that is a huge percentage of progress.”

Julie furthermore announced during the fall, the US will start Visa stamping program domestically within the United States for visa renewals, including H-1 and L-1 Visa.

“This fall will be the first that we’ll be able to put out a call for applications. The pilot is this summer..and we’re gonna be doing it for people in worker status. So that would be H’s and L and, and I’s,” the official added.

“All the non-visitor time or student-visa have very very low wait times and that’s really key. Our H-1B and F student’s wait time were just as high almost six months ago and so we brought down the wait time,” she added.