US opens additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travellers

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) The US Embassy in India on Monday announced that it has opened an additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travellers, including tourists, skilled workers, and students.

"The recently released new slots will help hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants take timely interviews, facilitating the travel which is the backbone of the people-to-people ties that underpin the US-India relationship," stated the US Mission to India.

It also detailed that the Indian Mission has already surpassed one million nonimmigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year.

"During our student visa season this summer, we continued to process record numbers, and all first-time student applicants were able to obtain an appointment at one of our five consular sections around India. We are now focused on bringing families together, connecting businesses, and facilitating tourism," the statement added.

More than 1.2 million Indians have traveled to the United States year to date in 2024, a 35 per cent increase over the same period in 2023.

According to the US Mission, at least six million Indians already have a nonimmigrant visa to visit the United States, and each day, it issues thousands more.

The Embassy on Monday highlighted that the United States' "partnership with India is stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history" with the US Senate designating September 30 as a 'US-India Partnership Day', recognising the contribution of the two countries to one another and a relationship that continues to define the 21st century.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden set an ambitious goal to improve and expedite the visa process and I'm proud to say that we have delivered on that promise. Our consular teams at the embassy and four consulates work tirelessly to ensure that we meet the surging demand," US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said recently.

Last week, during his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the Indian government will open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles.

"Last year, I announced the opening of a new Indian consulate in Seattle. I sought your suggestions for two additional Consulates. India has now decided to open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles," remarked PM Modi while interacting with the Indian diaspora in New York's Nassau Coliseum.

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