Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad & New Delhi are Top 4 US Visa Processing Posts in the World | Details

New Delhi – The year 2023 was the year when Indians decided to visit the United States at a record-high rate. The assertion is now being supported by the data released by the US Consular Team in India which claims that it has processed more visas than ever before in the year 2023. The stars of this show were the Indian metropolitan cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai which were the top four posts that processed the most student visas in the world. One of the major factors that contributed to this number was the visa appointment wait time was brought down to 75% in 2023.

According to the recent data released by the Indian mission, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a “record-smashing” 1.4 million US visas. “In 2023, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record-smashing 1.4 million U.S. visas.  Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60% increase in applications compared to 2022.  Indians now represent one out of every ten U.S. visa applicants around the world,” the diplomatic mission said in a statement. “Visitor visas (B1/B2) have rebounded to represent the second highest number of applications in the U.S. Mission’s history – over 700,000.  The U.S. Embassy and Consulates met this demand through a three-month staffing surge in Mumbai early in the year, by increased permanent staff levels, and through the employment of innovative technical solutions.  Process improvements and investments in staffing have brought the appointment wait time for visitor visas down from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days around the country.  Wait times are minimal in all other categories,” the statement further reads. 

Over 140,000 student visas were issued in 2023

When it comes to Student visas, the consulate noted that over 140,000 student visas were issued. These figures were more than in any other country and the consulate managed to set a world record in issuing visas for the third year in a row. Not only this, but cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai now stand as the top four student visa processing posts in the world. As a result of these figures, Indian students have become the largest group of international graduate students in the United States. The authorities noted that employment visas also remained a “top priority”. “Consular Team India consolidated most petition-based visa processing in Chennai and Hyderabad to increase efficiency, leading to the processing of over 380,000 employment visas for Indians and their family members in 2023 and allowing the U.S. Mission to maintain a minimal appointment wait time.  In 2024, a pilot program will allow eligible H1B holders to renew their visas in the United States, further streamlining the process for this group,” the consular team wrote in the statement. 

The team mentioned that the Consulate General Mumbai eliminated a queue of over 31,000 immigrant visa cases that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The U.S. Mission continues to invest in the future of consular services in India and explore ways to provide more efficient and convenient services.  These investments have included the opening of a new $340 million dollar facility in Hyderabad in March 2023, the announcement of two new consulates in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, continued capital improvements to our facilities around the country, and the permanent assignment of more consular officers to India,” the mission concluded.