The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi announced Monday the availability of an additional 250,000 visa slots for Indian travelers, including students, tourists and skilled workers. The press release stated that the newly released appointments 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 U.S. Mission to India, which includes the Embassy in New Delhi and four consulates in cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, has already surpassed processing one million non-immigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year.
The news comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware where he discussed with the U.S. President, Joseph Biden, “ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and exchanged views on global and regional issues.”
Every year India ranks high on the list of countries with a record number of U.S. student visas.
In 2024, more than 1.2 million Indians have traveled to the United States so far, a 35% increase compared to 2023 over the same time period, the press release said.
The Embassy added that at least six million Indians already have a non-immigrant visa to enter the U.S. as thousands of more visas are issued each day. The statement also said that their focus is now on “bringing families together, connecting businesses, and facilitating tourism.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden set an ambitious goal to improve and expedite the visa process and I’m proud to say that we have delivered on that promise,” said Eric Garcetti, U.S. Ambassador to India, adding the U.S. Mission is working “tirelessly” to meet the “surging demand.”
If you’re an Indian traveler, planning your trip to the U.S. soon, it’s advisable to check for visa appointments at the earliest to catch those newly opened slots.