US Visa Processing Time To Become Shorter By Mid-2023 for Indian Students

The wait time for the issuance of U.S. visas is expected to fall by the summer of 2023. According to a senior US embassy official in New Delhi, it will likely move towards normalcy by the summer of next year. The current estimated processing time for drop-box visa applications is approximately nine months. The Embassy is taking measures to reduce the processing time.

India is a Top Priority in Terms of Visa Applications

The US embassy expects a 10 percent increase in student visa applications this year and has taken steps to accommodate the growth. This includes increasing staffing and resources at the embassy in India.

A senior embassy official claimed that Washington, India is a top priority regarding visa applications. The reason cited for the current backlogs is due to Covid, which led to trouble onboarding, vetting, and transferring councilor staff.

Officials have stated that they expect Indian visa applications to surpass those from China by next year and take a second spot worldwide after Mexico. 

A Series of Initiatives

The US embassy expects a 10 percent increase in student visa applications this year and has taken steps to accommodate the growth. This includes increasing staffing and resources at the embassy in India.

The staff is also required to be trained in 5–6 Indian languages, which is time-consuming, and by summer 2023, the US Embassy will have 100 % councilor staff, which will be the highest in 10-12 years.

The focus is currently on clearing the backlog, and due to the current staff shortage, the embassy has set up temporary vice counsels and plans to have 100 %, permanent vice counsel.