June 10th, 2023 at 05:08 am
US Visa: Consulates Reserve Slots for Indian B1/B2 Visa Applicants
The US consulates in Bangkok and Frankfurt have set aside times for Indians applying for B1/B2 visas so that they can process more visas. The US embassy and consulates in India have given out more than 150,000 visas to students and exchange visitors in the past year. This makes Indian students and exchange visitors the second-largest group of foreign students in the US.
In order to get through more visa applications from Indians, the US consulates in Bangkok and Frankfurt have reserved appointments for Indian B1/B2 visa applicants.
Indians can apply for a US visa anywhere in the world, but it’s important to know that the consulates in Thailand and Germany set aside a certain number of slots each day for Indian B1 and B2 visa applicants.
The US Mission to India said earlier this year that it wanted to handle more than a million visa requests by 2023.
Reserving Slots for Indian Applicants
Hugo Rodriguez, the senior deputy assistant secretary of the US Bureau of Consular Affairs, says that the US consulates in Bangkok and Frankfurt reserve some slots daily for Indian B1/B2 visa applicants.
He also said that if an applicant can’t wait long enough for a B1/B2 visa, they can go to Bangkok or Frankfurt, where the consular sections have opened new facilities and set aside a number of meetings every day for Indian applicants.
“If the wait time for a B1/B2 visa is too long for you, you can go to Bangkok, where the consular section has opened a new building and set aside a number of appointments every day for Indian applicants.”
Visa Wait Times in Bangkok and Frankfurt
The US State Gov website has information about wait times for visas that require an interview. For students and exchange visitors, Bangkok has faster wait times than Frankfurt, but for petition-based temporary workers, Frankfurt has shorter wait times.
Bangkok has a wait time of 15 calendar days for tourists who need an interview, while Frankfurt has a wait time of 43 calendar days. But for people who don’t need an interview waiver, both consulates offer same-day meetings.
| Nonimmigrant Visa Type | Bangkok | Frankfurt |
| Interview Required Students/Exchange Visitors (F, M, J) | 7 Calendar Days | 8 Calendar Days |
| Interview Required Petition-Based Temporary Workers (H, L, O, P, Q) | 1 Calendar Days | 9 Calendar Days |
| Interview Required Crew and Transit (C, D, C1/D) | 45 Calendar Days | 22 Calendar Days |
| Interview Required Visitors (B1/B2) | 15 Calendar Days | 43 Calendar Days |
| Interview Waiver Students/Exchange Visitors (F, M, J) | – | 1 Calendar Days |
| Interview Waiver Petition-Based Temporary Workers (H, L, O, P, Q) | – | 1 Calendar Days |
| Interview Waiver Crew and Transit (C, D, C1/D) | Same day | 1 Calendar Days |
| Interview Waiver Visitors (B1/B2) | Same day | 1 Calendar Days |
Indian Students Rank Second Among US International Cohorts
In the past year, the US embassy and consulates in India gave out more than 150,000 visas to students and exchange visitors. This makes Indian students and exchanges visitors the second biggest group of international students in the US, after Chinese students.
B1/B2 Visa Categories Among Most Popular
B1/B2 Visas Are Among the Most Common H1B (work) and B1/B2 visas are two of the most common types of visas that the American consulates in India receive. The B1 visa lets people into the US for business, and the B2 visa is for people who want to travel for fun or to see family.
Additional Efforts to Cut Delays in Visa Processing
Since March, the US consulate has sent temporary diplomatic personnel to Mumbai to expedite visas. Traveling without an interview with a B1/B2 visa has also grown.
The American consulate in Mumbai expects the most students between June and August, as 1.2 million Indians visited the US in 2020.
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