With the United States processing a record number of visa applications for Indians in the current year, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti has announced plans to expand the number of embassy employees and open new consulates, among other new plans.

The United States has processed more visa applications in 2023 than in any previous year. According to reports by the US embassy, it anticipates a steady spike in visa processing in the upcoming weeks due to the busy holiday travel season.

‘‘More visa applications were completed by our India team this month than in any other year of 2023. We will be serving thousands of students, workers, tourists and more in the coming weeks just in time for the busy holiday travel season. Safe travels to all of our applicants and congrats to the Consular Team,” says the US Embassy in India.

According to a press statement, in an effort to reduce the waiting time for Indian applicants US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has announced plans to expand the number of embassy employees and open new consulates, one of which would be in Ahmedabad. 

Garcetti says the embassy was probably going to issue 10-15 pc more US visas this year than usual, with the number of visas being issued in India having climbed by one-third in recent weeks. 

For Indian professionals and students, the lengthy delays in the US Visa application procedure brought on by the large number of applications have been a challenge. Notably, 280,000 Indian students were enrolled in US universities in 2022-23, a record high that exceeded pre-pandemic levels. With more than 25 pc of the 1.2 million international students registered this year, Indian students made up the second-largest student enrollment, after Chinese students.

According to the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors 2023 report, 268,923 Indian students went to the US in 2022-23, a 35 pc year-over-year increase over the 199,182 students in 2021-22.

The statement adds that in 2023, the Embassy had set a target to process at least one million visas, underscoring the increasing ties between India and the US.