US Visa: Multiple B1/B2 interview waiver slots open in these 3 cities | News Bharat

The B-1/B-2 visitor visa is for people traveling to the United States temporarily for business (B-1) or pleasure or medical treatment (B-2).

The United States Embassy in India has announced that it has opened new B1/B2 visa interview waiver slots for those who qualify. These slots are available in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

The US Embassy in India tweeted, “Looking for a B1/B2 visa appointment (dropbox)? Good news! We have opened many B1/B2 interview waiver slots in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai for next month. Book in time for your holiday trip.”

According to reports, the current waiting time to waive US visa interviews is 233 days in Delhi, 297 in Mumbai and 171 days in Chennai. For the first time, applicants for US business (B-1) and tourist (B-2) visas have been extended to three years, the US State Department announced on Tuesday. “The global average wait time for a tourist (B1/B2) visa interview appointment is less than two months as of this month,” the US State Department said.

Eligibility: Those renewing any visa (including B1/B2 visas) within 48 months of expiry can opt for the interview waiver option.

To facilitate the smooth issuance of visas and eliminate backlogs, the US has made more applicants eligible for interview waivers, sending cases overseas for adjudication and recruiting temporary workers.

Students have the advantage of waiving the visa interview, especially during the admission session. The US said skilled workers are next on the fast-track list, followed by multiple B1/B2 visa applicants (whose visas have expired within four years of application, making them now eligible for an interview waiver) and crew.

In particular, it could be months before the waiting time for a B1/B2 interview starts to decrease.

The United States expects processing times to recover faster than projected and expects to reach pre-pandemic levels in fiscal year 2023.