U.S. Mission to India processes one million nonimmigrant visa applications in 2023

HYDERABAD: The U.S. Mission to India successfully processed one million nonimmigrant visa applications in 2023, surpassing its initial goal. The Mission processed over a 1,000 cases in 2022, processing nearly 20 percent more applications than in pre-pandemic 2019.

U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said, “Our partnership with India is one of the United States’ most important bilateral relationships, and in fact one of the most important relationships in the world.

The ties between our people are stronger than ever, and we will continue our record-setting volume of visa work in the coming months to give as many Indian applicants as possible the opportunity to travel to the United States and experience the U.S.-India friendship firsthand.”

Last year, over 1.2 million Indians visited the United States, demonstrating one of the most robust travel relationships globally.

Indians now make up over 10 percent of global visa applicants, including 20 percent of students and 65 percent of H&L-category applicants, a trend that the United States is embracing.

Recognizing the continued high demand for U.S. visas, the United States continues to invest heavily in our operations in India. The Mission has increased its staffing in the past year to handle more visa processing than ever before.

The Mission has made significant capital improvements to existing facilities, such as the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, and has inaugurated a new Consulate building in Hyderabad.

The Mission has also implemented strategies to increase efficiency, extending interview waiver eligibility to new visa categories and utilizing remote work to allow staff around the world to contribute to Indian visa processing. Early next year, the Mission plans to implement a pilot program that would allow domestic visa renewal for qualified H&L-category employment visa applicants.

As noted in the Joint Statement issued by Prime Minister Modi and President Biden during the President’s recent visit to India, the United States and India share a “close and enduring” partnership. Improved visa processing is only one example of the U.S. Mission to India’s ongoing commitment to strengthening that partnership.