The United States (US) government has waived in-person interview requirements for many Indian visa applicants till December 31, 2022, a senior American diplomat informed leaders of Indian community.
According to a PTI report published on Sunday, February 27, students (F, M, and academic J visas), workers (H-1, H-2, H-3, and individual L visas), cultural visas, and visas for those with extraordinary abilities (O, P, and Q visas) are all eligible for the waiver.
Meanwhile, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a leader in the South Asian community in the United States said that ‘this is important assistance for visa applicants. This would be quite beneficial to our friends and family members since it would remove many of their worries and hassles.’ Ajay Jain Bhutoria is also a member of the Asian American Advisory Commission to the US President.
On Friday, February 25, Bhutoria discussed the visa issue with Assistant Secretary of State for South Central Asia, Donal Lu, in Silicon Valley, California.
According to PTI, “Both India and the United States are powerful democracies that share democratic values and give leadership in the Asia Pacific region.”
According to Lu, the State Department has the authority to waive in-person interview requirements for specific applicants through December 31, this year.
Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for the waiver:
- Previously received a visa from the United States in any category
- Never been denied a visa to the United States.
- No indication of possible ineligibility for a US visa.
Apart from this, candidates must be citizens or residents of the country in which they are applying.
More than 20,000 new appointments will be made available for Spring 2022 at the US embassy in New Delhi and its consulates in places such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai to allow candidates to take advantage of the new interview waiver.