With visa applications piling up from Indians dreaming of moving to the US, officials at the US consulate in China are deciding on Indian visa applications that have removed interview requirements.
During the US’s latest trade policy review at the World Trade Organization (WTO), India asked what steps the US administration was taking to deal with the worsening situation after the Covid pandemic.
India had complained, ‘Appointments for visas are being received very slowly in many countries. Sometimes there have been delays of up to 900 days in the case of applicants from India. This delay is not only affecting the movement of workers, but is also causing problems in fulfilling the commitment of export orders for goods and services.
While acknowledging the unnecessary delay, the US side had said it was using innovative technological solutions to eliminate the burden of non-immigrant visa interviews and provide additional visa capacity.
“For example, every day the US Embassy Office in China is deciding on hundreds of interview-exempt non-immigrant visas, where the interview timeline is long,” the US side said. This gives our consular officers time to focus on first-time and other visa applicants who require in-person interviews.
The US administration has exempted personal interviews to the extent possible, thereby reducing the waiting time for visa approval.
It added, “The State Department is working with the Department of Security to allow authorities to waive personal interviews, including students, those renewing prior visas, and low-risk travelers.” ‘
The US has said it has also increased its workforce around the world and is training new employees.
He has said, ‘In the last fiscal year, the State Department has doubled recruitment. Newly trained personnel are also being posted abroad. Training and hiring these employees as well as deployment takes time. The US is on track to fill all foreign visa assistant positions affected by the pandemic.
