Delays In US Visas Lead To H-1B Visa Holders Putting Off India Visits.

With air travel picking up the pace to match the pre-Covid level traffic and a surge in travel demand, people's wait to travel abroad, mainly to America, is getting longer due to the long delay for visa appointments.

It has not only forced many Americans to cancel their trips to India, but also forced Indians with H-1B visas working in the United States to delay their return home, since US returnees are also experiencing delays in getting their passports stamped at American consulates in India in time to return home.

"If an H1B visa holder is coming to Mumbai, the passport stamping appointment can come for any city like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, or Delhi. Then, a day or two — apart from a lot of money — is spent going there for the purpose," according to an IT professional.

Applicants are not required to choose a specific location for their visa appointments, according to a spokesperson for the US embassy. Applicants can select the city where their visa application will be adjudicated.

According to the US State Department website, the average wait time for a US visa in India is one-and-a-half years. First-time applicants can get an appointment for March-April 2024. Those who are not first-time applicants, however, must wait a few months.