Interview waiver among steps to cut US visa time

To cut the long visa wait time for Indians, the US has made more visa applicants eligible for interview waivers and will send some of these “drop box” applications abroad for adjudication, reports Saurabh Sinha. The biggest change is set to be in the work and student visa categories.

- Saurabh Sinha

New Delhi: The United States has made more visa applicants eligible for interview waivers and will for the first time send some of these “drop box” applications from India abroad for adjudication in an attempt to cut the painfully long visa wait time here.

This will enable consulate staff in India (staff strength is being gradually ramped up) to tackle the massive backlog as the appointment waiting period for first-time B1 (business)/B2 (tourism) visa applicants in Mumbai is just short of the 1,000-day mark at 975.