In 2023, the US issued a record 1.4 million visas in India, cutting the wait time for visitor appointments by 75%. The US embassy and consulates efficiently handled a surge in demand, with Indians now making up one-tenth of global US visa applicants. Visa applications saw an unprecedented 60% increase, especially in visitor visas (B1 and B2), which totaled over 700,000.
To manage the demand, the US missions implemented a three-month staffing surge in Mumbai, increased permanent staff, and used innovative technology. These changes reduced the average wait time for visitor visas from 1,000 to 250 days across India, and wait times in other visa categories were also minimized.
In 2023, the US missions in India set a new record by issuing over 140,000 student visas, making Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai the top four global student visa processing posts. Indian students now constitute the largest group of international graduate students in the US, accounting for over a quarter of the one million foreign students in the country.
US visas India, Visa application process, Visa wait time reduction, US-India travel statistics, Immigration updates 2023