US visa appointment slots now available in India within a year

For all those who have been waiting to book a US visa interview appointment slot, there's been a drop in the waiting time for US B1/B2 visa interview appointment slots for Indians seeking to get a US visa.

The waiting time has reduced in cities including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai, reported The Times of India. Here's what you need to know about it. 

What's happening?

For all those who have been waiting for US B1/B2 visa interview appointments, there's been a reduction in the waiting time. 

• Delhi: In Delhi, there's a been decrease in the number of days from 542 days to 37 days for B1/B2 visa interview appointments. 
• Kolkata: Kolkata's wait has been dropped from 539 days to 126 days. 
• Mumbai: The waiting time in Mumbai reduced from 596 days to 322 days. 
• Chennai: The waiting time in Chennai reduced from 526 days to 341 days. 

Also, the US embassy opened over 2,50,000 visa interview slots. 

Following the lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic, the resumption of visa processing services in India was marked by an extensive waiting period for appointments.

Previously, individuals had to wait for nearly a year and a half to secure a US visa interview appointment. However, the wait time has now been reduced to just under a year.

Despite the reduction in waiting time for US visa appointments, there is still a considerable wait time of almost a year.