US embassy to open 100,000 slots for H and L worker visa categories, resume interviews for student visas

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US embassy will open 100,000 slots over the next few weeks for H and L worker visa categories, and resume interviews for student visas in mid-November, Don Heflin, minister counsellor for consular affairs at the US embassy in New Delhi, said while addressing visa concerns.

For H and L worker visa categories, one lakh appointments will be opened within the next few weeks, he added.

The official admitted that the wait time for B1 (business) and B2 (visitor) visas is one of the longest for Indian applicants. The appointment wait time for all major Indian embassies is more than 800 days at least, with wait times at Mumbai and Delhi being 848 and 833 days, respectively.

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Heflin explained staff cutting during the Covid-19 as the reason behind the extended visa waiting time. The embassy would be adding staff to cut down wait times for B1 and B2 visas.

This comes after external affairs minister S Jaishankar raised concerns over long wait times for visas with US secretary of state Antony Blinken earlier this week.

"Our recovery from Covid and post-Covid staffing problems is well underway. At the height of Covid, and for a while after, we only had about 50% of the (visa staffing) we should have. Now, we're at about 70%. We're going to be at about 100% staffing a little bit before this time next year... at that point (we'll) be able to handle about 100% of the volume of (applications) we got before Covid," he said.

Join us for a LIVE chat with our Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs, Don Heflin. https://t.co/TB78HPe0A4

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) September 29, 2022

Also Read | US visa appointments now open; wait times significant due to high demand: US Embassy

This is the first time that the US has received the highest number of Indian students than any other part of the world, Heflin added.

After a hiatus of two years, the US has finally opened interview slots for new visa applicants.