In a move that strengthens bilateral ties, the US Mission to India has announced the opening of 250,000 new visa appointment slots for Indian travelers. This announcement comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, where he met with President Joe Biden.
The new slots will be allocated to Indian applicants across various categories, including tourists, skilled workers, and students. This strategic move is expected to streamline visa processing and facilitate travel for hundreds of thousands of Indians.
The US Embassy in India highlighted the significance of these new slots in a statement, emphasizing their role in strengthening people-to-people connections. “The new slots will help hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants take timely interviews, facilitating the travel which is the backbone of the people-to-people ties that underpin the US-India relationship,” the statement reads.
The US Mission to India has already achieved a remarkable milestone, processing over one million non-immigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year. The focus now is on reuniting families, fostering business connections, and promoting tourism.
The strong demand for US visas from India is evident in the record number of Indian travelers visiting the United States. More than 1.2 million Indians have already traveled to the US in 2024, representing a significant 35% increase compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, over six million Indians hold non-immigrant visas to visit the US, and the US Mission continues to issue thousands more visas daily.
This recent initiative underscores the growing importance of the US-India relationship, particularly in terms of people-to-people connections and economic collaborations. The opening of these new visa slots is anticipated to further enhance these ties, fostering cultural exchange, economic growth, and a deeper understanding between the two nations.
