Travelling to America? Here’s how Indians can get their US visa faster, check new appointment rules

Thousands of Indians travel to the United States of America every year, while the US visa process for many Indian nationals can at times take more than one year. To cut down the time for you to get your travel visa, the US Embassy has launched a new initiative.

In an effort to cut down the time for Indian nationals to get their US visas, the US Embassy has now allowed Indian travelers to seek their visa appointments in foreign countries as well. This is applicable for the B1/B2 type US visa appointments.

This move has been extended by the US Embassy for Indian visa seekers as, at times, the waiting period for getting a travel visa for America can be as high as 800 days for some people. The US Embassy said that this application process has been set for tourist and business visas only.

The US Embassy in India tweeted, “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months.”

Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/tjunlBqeYu

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) February 3, 2023

Citing Thailand as an example, since it is one of the most popular travel destinations for Indians, the US Embassy said that the country has the capacity to hold tourist and business visa appointments for Indians who want a US visa.

Apart from overseas appointments for Indians, the US Embassy also announced a series of initiatives which is aimed at cutting down the US visa waiting period for Indian nations, which includes increasing the strength of consular staff and organising special interviews for first-time applicants.

This means that if you are seeking a visa to the United States for the first time, it is likely that you will get an appointment much faster. Further, people looking to renew their US visa can submit their application through a dropbox, and won’t be called for biometrics since their data is already with the US embassy.

Update: As per the latest information available on VisaGuide.world, starting May 30, 2023, B1/B2 visa applications will cost $185 instead of $160.

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