US Offers 2.5 Lakh Visa Spots, but Requestors Report Booking Problems

This Monday, the US embassy in New Delhi revealed that more than 2.5 lakh interviews for visa applicants nationwide were now being scheduled. The US embassy said on Wednesday that almost a quarter of a million appointments for nonimmigrant visas became available over the weekend in a post on X.

For our consular staff, the weekend was quite hectic! We opened nearly a quarter of a million appointments for nonimmigrant visas over the weekend, the US mission said in a post on X, the old name for Twitter. Several applicants claimed that even though visa appointments were offered, these slots were not accessible for 2023.

37 DAYS INSTEAD OF 542 DAYS

According to the US State Department’s most recent statistics, wait times for the B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) visa categories have significantly decreased. According to media sources, Delhi’s wait period is now just 37 days, down from 542 days as recently as last week. Improved wait times have also been seen at a number of other consulates: Chennai at 341 days (previously 526), Mumbai at 322 days (previously 596), and Kolkata at 126 days (previously 539). Only Hyderabad has seen a little uptick, going from 506 to 511 days.

NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2023 DATE?

Many applicants were upset when the US mission said that 2.5 lakh places would be available; when they attempted to schedule appointments, they discovered that there were no dates available till 2023. There were no open dates in Mumbai until June 2024 for some visa applicants attempting to reschedule an appointment that was originally scheduled for May of the following year. In the meanwhile, those looking for appointments in Delhi discovered that the earliest available date was February 22, 2024.

“Applicants are not able to arrange any appointments due to portal difficulties. In reaction to the US embassy’s tweet, one of the users on X said, “There is no submit option when i try to schedule appointment.. email sent.. awaiting swift action.” “Nice to see more appointments being added,” said a different visa applicant. But, to put it mildly, the new scheduling website is a complete jumble and a hassle. I have called customer support every day for over a month, but I have been unable to resolve an appointment problem.