By John Ikani
The United States (US) has announced a new visa policy aimed at reducing waiting times for applicants from third-countries.
With the new policy, applicants can now apply for a visa appointment at US consulates in their destination country, rather than their home country.
The move is expected to alleviate delays and reduce waiting times during visa processing periods.
First among embassies to announce implementation of the policies is the US embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, which said it has opened B1/B2 visa appointment capacity for Indians who will be traveling to Thailand in the coming months.
According to the embassy’s tweet, “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the US Embassy or Consulate in your destination.”
The waiting period for B1/B2 interviews in Bangkok is just 14 days, a significant reduction from the previous waiting period of close to three years in India.
The US government has implemented several initiatives to reduce visa processing delays.
The US embassy has increased the strength of its consular staff, scheduled special interviews for first-time applicants, and started conducting interviews on select weekends, including Saturday.
In addition, the US government has implemented remote processing for interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas.
The long waiting period for first-time visa applicants has been a growing concern, especially for business and tourist visas (B1/B2) which have wait times reaching almost two years in most consulates around the country.
However, the wait time for student visas (F-1) has stabilized to about 90 days.
