We request the State Department, Secretary of State Mr. Anthony Bliken and  the US embassies in India to eliminate wait times for visa appointments in India. Even after a two-year long, Covid-era, pause in visa appointments at the US embassies in India, the visa appointment situation is far from normal, requiring 300 to 900 days of wait time based on the visa types. As per travel.state.gov reports on 10/31/2022, there is an average 900+ days wait time for appointments for visitors’ visa(B1/B2), an average 400 days wait time for students (F, M,J) and an average 300 days wait time for petition-based temp workers like H, L, O, P and Q across the USA consulates in India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata) . In contrast, the US consulates in China only have an average 3 days wait time.

The 900+ day delay deprives Indian Americans and Indian immigrants in the USA of having their beloved relatives to visit, whether in the time of difficulties, needs or for celebrations, impacting their quality of life. 

The 400+ day wait time affects students joining the US universities, that not only impacts students’  future but also negatively impacts the US universities.

Similarly, the 300+ day of wait time is impacting productivity and success of various industries and businesses due to lack of skilled workers.

We urge the US State Department and Sec Blinken to resolve this issue. We believe It is not only important for US interests but the right thing to do on moral and compassionate grounds. As per Reuters news on 27th Sept, the Secretary of State blamed the lack of  resources and funding due to lost revenues from fees on this "self-financed program". We request the concerned authorities to take all necessary steps and to seek emergency funds to resolve this backlog. We are eager to assist in any way possible and will forge a coalition of organizations who will rise to the occasion to assist in mitigating this issue.

During the US 2022 midterm election, Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (http://FIIDS-USA.org) appeals to Indo-American voters to voice their concerns about these delays to the candidates contesting for house and senate.

#USVisaAppointmentWaitTime  #IndoAmericanVotesMatter