Explained: how severe has the US visa application problem become

The problem has become so severe that it has been taken up at the highest level by the Narendra Modi government. Let's us cite an example before we get into details, if you plan to go the United States of America on a vistor visa, you would have to wait for 833 days to secure a nod or a rejection.

This is why External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the issue of the backlog of visa applications from India to which the top American diplomat said he is sensitive to the matter and had a plan to address it.

If visitor visa waiting period didn't sound alarming to you, this statement from the United States embassy in capital Delhi must. On September 27, the embassy was explicit in saying on its website that it may not be able to accommodate Indian travelers according to their time preferences, even if the purpose of the travel is sensitive.

Much of the delay is due to disruptions in operations beginning from start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In national capital the waiting period for a visitors Visa is 833 days, for student/exchange visitor visas you would have to wait 420 days for non-migrant visas the waiting time period is 390 days.

Mumbai has the highest waiting time for Visitor Visa, applicants have to wait for 843 days and for student/exchange visitor visas the wait time is 430 days while for non-immigrant visas the wait time is 360 days.

In Kolkata, for the visitors visa, waiting period is 764 days, while for student/exchange visitors visas the wait time is 444 days for other non-immigrant visas the wait time is 360 days.

Also Watch: Jaishankar raises US visa delay issues; Blinken assures action