In a recent tweet, the U.S. Consular Mission in India has notified that B1/B2 visa applicants traveling abroad could appear for the visa interview at the U.S. consular post in the country of destination. Given that wait times in India are over 500 days for most B1/B2 applicants, this is a welcome relief.

At the time of this writing, Bangkok, Dubai, Maldives are some destinations, where B1/B2 applicants from India may apply for their visa from. We understand that this is facilitated to reduce the backlog and visa wait times at consular posts in India.

We wish to recall some recent initiatives by the U.S. Consular missions in India to clear the backlogs and process more visa applications: 

• Consular staffs are being increased.
• On Jan 21, 2023, “Special Saturday interview days” was introduced across all consular posts in India for applicants who require in-person visa interview.
• Operating hours was extended during weekdays to accommodate additional appointments.
• Consular officers from Washington and other embassies are being temporarily assigned to India between Jan and Mar 2023 to help clear the backlog. 

It may take several months for U.S. visa applicants to experience shorter wait times. We appreciate the efforts by the U.S. consular mission in India to eliminate the backlog and process more cases. We will continue to monitor and bring latest updates on this important subject.