The US Embassy in India has made 250,000 new visa appointments available for Indian tourists, skilled workers, and students. This move is part of a goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden to speed up the visa process.

These new appointments will help Indian applicants get visa interviews more quickly.

The US Embassy announced that these additional slots will enable hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants to secure timely visa interviews, easing travel. For the second consecutive year, the US mission in India has processed over 1 million non-immigrant visa applications.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said, “I’m proud that we’ve kept our promise. Our embassy and consulate teams are working hard to meet the growing demand.”

Students, Workers and Tourists

During this year’s student visa season, the US Mission processed a record number of applications and made sure every first-time student got an appointment at one of its five consular offices in India.

The statement said, “We processed record numbers this summer, and all first-time student applicants got appointments. Now, we’re focusing on reuniting families, helping businesses, and supporting tourism.”

In 2024, over 1.2 million Indians have already traveled to the US, a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Around six million Indians have a non-immigrant visa, and thousands more are issued daily.

Australia to Start Offering Work Visas to Indian Citizens from Oct 1 Under Trade Pact

Australia will begin offering up to 1,000 work and holiday visas each year to Indian citizens from October 1, as part of its commitment under the India-Australia interim free trade agreement.

The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) came into effect from December 2022.

“During the visit, happy to learn that Work and Holiday visa, a key commitment under India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement will be operational from 1st October 2024 which will facilitate mobility and deepen people-to-people connect,” Goyal said in a post on X on Thursday.

Under the ECTA, Indian nationals aged 18-30 years can apply for a one-year visa to work, study, and travel across Australia.

Australia would annually grant up to 1,000 multiple-entry work and holiday visas for a temporary stay of 12 months to Indian citizens who meet the eligibility requirements under the Australian legislation.

The two sides are now negotiating to expand the scope of the existing ECTA to a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).