Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: US
Washington (PTI): The US is making every effort to reduce the waiting time for a visa interview appointment in India, a top State Department official has said, asserting that the visa processing is recovering faster than projected and is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels over the coming year.
Addressing the growing concern over the backlog of visa applications from countries like India, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Wednesday that he certainly understands the frustrations of those who have to wait for a long time.
As of November 2022, the median worldwide wait time for a tourist visa (B1/B2) interview appointment was about two months, and applicants with urgent travel needs who meet certain criteria can apply for an emergency appointment, usually available within days.
"Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels," Price said.
The US issued more student visas in the fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016, he said, adding that its embassy and consulates in India in particular broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year.
"We issued nearly 1,25,000 student visas. We recognise that some applicants may still face extended visa wait times, and we're making every effort to further reduce visa interview appointment wait times as quickly as possible in India and around the world, including for first-time tourist visa applicants," he said.
"I can tell you that it is a priority of the Secretary and of the Department to do everything we can to reduce that backlog and ultimately to reduce the wait times," he said.
He said the State Department was committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the US while safeguarding national security.
"We know that timely visa processing is essential to the US economy and to the administration's goal of family reunification. We've made great strides in recovering from pandemic-related closures and staffing challenges, but we're still working to respond to the significant demand for visa services," Price said.
He said the demand for visa services has only increased as pandemic restrictions have eased in countries across the world and people are looking for opportunities to travel to the US.
"We are successfully lowering visa wait times worldwide. We've doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel to do this important work," he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in September raised the issue of the backlog of visa applications from India to which the top American diplomat said he was sensitive to the matter and has the plan to address it.
The State Department has said in the past that has made great strides in returning to pre-pandemic visa processing levels and in reducing appointment wait times.
Indians make up a large proportion of the recipients of H-1B and other work visas granted to skilled foreign workers, many in the tech industry.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
According to travel.state.gov reports on October 31, there is an average of 900+ days' wait time for appointments for visitors' visas (B1/B2), an average of 400 days wait time for students (F, M,J), and an average 300 days' wait time for petition-based temp workers like H, L, O, P and Q across the US consulates in India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata).
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26-year-old Telangana student shot dead in US
Hyderabad, Jan 20 (PTI): A 26-year-old student from Telangana was allegedly shot dead in the US by unidentified persons, his family members said here on Monday.
K Ravi Teja, who completed MS and was looking for a job, was living in Connecticut.
The family received information about his death from a relative staying in America.
However, the circumstances leading to his death were unclear, the family members said, adding the incident is said to have happened in Washington DC.
Teja, who went to the US in 2022 to pursue MS after completing engineering from a private college here, was doing part-time jobs, his cousin Santosh told PTI.
Teja's sister, who also lives in the US, has reached the hospital where the body was kept.
Teja's father Chandramouli was inconsolable as he spoke to reporters about the tragic death of his son.
He said his son was looking for a job after completing MS eight months ago and was hoping to secure a job in March this year, and would visit them after getting a job.
Chandramouli said he last spoke to Teja on January 18 night.
He also said his son had asked him to come down to the US.
"I got him educated by driving a taxi. We sent him to the US by selling off a small piece of land we had. He brought me to a level (in society) but left me now," Chandramouli said.
He urged the government to help in bringing back his mortal remains here as early as possible.
"I have come to know that my son was shot dead. I am told that it will take seven days. My appeal to the government is to send back the mortal remains as early as possible. I am not able to speak anything else... I sent him alive, but his body will come now," a grieving Chandramouli said.
Asked about the condition of Teja's mother, he said she is like the family's bedrock which has now shattered. "What can be said about her," he said.
The family belongs to Nalgonda district in Telangana and lived in Chaitanyapuri in Hyderabad.
In November 2024, a 22-year-old youth from Khammam district of Telangana was shot dead by miscreants at a gas station in the United States where he was working, family members had said.
