According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US has a strategy to resolve the visa backlog for Indians within the next few months. The remarks were delivered at a meeting with S Jaishankar in Washington. The Minister of External Affairs of India highlighted concerns about acquiring visas for Indians to live and work in the United States.
The US has a non-immigrant visa waiting time of more than two years for Indians. In Delhi, the waiting period for student/exchange visitor visas is 444 calendar days, 758 calendar days for visiting visas, and 354 calendar days for all other non-immigrant visas.
Jaishankar expressed confidence that Blinken and his staff will take some of these issues “seriously and constructively.” Blinken blamed the backlog on the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We had COVID limits on the number of individuals we could have in our embassies at any given moment, and so on.” We are currently rebuilding very determinedly from those booming resources. When it comes to India, we have a strategy in place to overcome the visa backlog. “I think you’ll see it in the next months,” Blinken remarked during a press conference.
The US’ capacity to offer visas drastically diminished during COVID. And it doesn’t want to make things any more complicated. Instead, it wants to make things easier, according to Blinken.
“Please bear with us. This will unfold over the next few months, but we’re committed to it “He continued.
One of the “most crucial” relationships is that between India and the United States “Blinken stated during the joint news conference. According to the US Secretary of State, the two nations’ bilateral relationship has strengthened in recent years as a result of organisations like as QUAD, the G20, and UN-affiliated international organisations.
The US will be able to foster stronger international collaboration and cooperative action thanks to India’s UNSC leadership in December and its G20 presidency in 2023. Blinken explained.
