Glad to see steps being taken to reduce wait times for visa applicants in India: US lawmaker

PTI

Washington, January 25

A top US Congresswoman has lauded the slew of measures initiated by the Biden administration to reduce the massive backlog in visa processing applications in India, especially for those applying under B1/B2 categories, saying such a long wait time was “unacceptable”.

India is one of the few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted.

Last week, the US sent a cadre of consular officers to India and opened overseas embassies in Germany and Thailand to expedite Indian visa applicants. 

Grace Meng, who is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Congressional Caucus on India, said: “I'm glad to see that steps are being taken to reduce wait times for visa applicants.”

Meng, 47, is the first and only Asian member of Congress from New York State.

“This move will significantly help businesses and families who are waiting for the arrival of workers and loved ones from India. It is unacceptable that the wait time for visas has been so long, and in Congress, I have pushed for these delays to be addressed,” she said.

There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. 

The waiting period for first-time B1/B2 visa applicants in India was close to three years in October last year.