New Delhi: In order to cut delays in visa processing in India, the US has launched new initiatives, such as setting up special interviews for first-time applicants and adding more consular staff. The US embassy in Delhi and the US consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad conducted "special Saturday interview days" on January 21 as part of a multi-pronged strategy to reduce the visa backlog. "On January 21, the US mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days, as part of a larger effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants," the US embassy said on Sunday.
"The United States Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad all opened consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews," it said in a statement. The ministry will keep making certain Saturday appointments available in the future months, using what it calls "additional slots."
"These additional interview days are just one component of a multi-pronged initiative to address the backlog in visa processing caused by COVID-19," it said.—Inputs from Agencies