Glad to see steps being taken to reduce wait times for visa applicants in India: US lawmaker

A top Congresswoman has lauded the slew of measures undertaken by the Biden administration to reduce the massive backlog in visa processing applications in India, saying such a long wait time was 'unacceptable.'

Last week, the US sent a cadre of consular officers to India and opened up overseas embassies in Germany and Thailand to expedite Indian visa applicants. India was one of the very few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted.

Grace Meng, 47, who is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Congressional Caucus on India, said: "I"m glad to see that steps are being taken to reduce wait times for visa applicants." Meng is the first and only Asian member of Congress from New York State.

"This move will significantly help businesses and families who are waiting for the arrival of workers and loved ones from India. It is unacceptable that the wait time for visas has been so long, and in Congress, I have pushed for these delays to be addressed," she said.