US visa delays: online petition urging Blinken to reduce visa wait time launched

A US-based diaspora body on Tuesday launched an online petition campaign urging the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to reduce the long waitlist for various types of American visas being issued from India.

"We request the State Department, Secretary of State Mr Anthony Blinken and the US embassies in India to eliminate wait times for visa appointments in India.

"Even after a two-year-long Covid-era pause in visa appointments at the US embassies in India, the visa appointment situation is far from normal, requiring 300 to 900 days of wait time based on the visa types,” Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies or FIIDS said launching its online petition campaign.

As per travel.state.gov reports on October 31, there is an average 900+ days' wait time for appointments for visitors’ visa (B1/B2), an average 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 USA consulates in India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata), it said.

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