US Embassy Doubles Hiring to Reduce Visa Wait Times: White House

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The US Embassy has doubled its hiring efforts in order to reduce the waiting time for US visas, according to the White House.

The increased staffing will help to process visas more quickly, allowing applicants to receive their visas in a timely manner. This move is aimed at improving the visa process and making it easier for individuals to travel to the US.

Efforts to Streamline Visa Process for Indian Citizens

The White House has said that the Biden Administration is aware of the lengthy delays in visa appointments in India and is working to meet the “significant demand for these visa services,” as well as increased hiring of US Foreign Service personnel.

In response to a question about the extremely long wait times for visa appointments at US missions in India, which currently exceed 1,000 days, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

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“We are still working to respond to the significant demand for these visa services,” said Jean-Pierre.

“That is something that we will continue to do. We are successfully lowering visa interview wait times, and we’ve doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel to do this important work. Visa processing is recovering faster than projected, and this year we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels.”

Long Visa Wait Times

The President’s Advisory Commission recommended that the Biden administration limit lengthy visa wait times to no more than two to four weeks in India.

There are long waits for a non-immigrant visa, visitor visas (B1/B2), student visas (F1/F2), and temporary worker visa (H, L, O, P, Q) appointments with US embassies in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, among other countries.

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In India’s case, the US visa wait times have now crossed over 1,000 days, causing hardship for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) families both at home and abroad, as well as major disruptions for students, businesses, and visitors.

The President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders met this week and made a set of recommendations to the White House to reduce the growing delay in visa appointment times in US embassies around the world, particularly in India.

To reduce high backlogs, the commission also recommended that the State Department allow virtual interviews and allow staff from embassies around the world and US consular staff to assist in conducting virtual interviews.

The commission recommended that the State Department hire new full-time officers, temporary staff, and contractors, or bring back retired consular officers to clear the backlog at relevant embassies in Asia with wait times of more than a month.

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Manish Khandelwal
Manish Khandelwal

Manish Khandelwal, a travel-tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the travel industry. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Travelobiz.com, he's passionate about writing.

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