HYDERABAD: The US Mission to India has launched Special Saturday Interviews as part of a larger effort to reduce the waiting period for first-time visa applicants.
The United States Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad opened consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews. In the coming months, the mission will continue to open additional slots for appointments to take place on select Saturdays.
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in profound reductions in the visa processing capacity, and many embassies and consulates were sometimes only able to offer emergency services. As the travel restrictions were lifted, the US Mission to India prioritised facilitating legitimate travel.
It adjudicated over 8,00,000 non-immigrant visas in 2022, including a record number of both student and employment visas. Consulate General in Mumbai currently adjudicates the most visa applications in India and is one of the largest visa operations in the world.