Everyone is constantly considering a trip to the US or perhaps Europe. More than we realise, Indians look forward to travelling overseas, whether for business, studies, or simply to relax. But are you one of those who have heard of the agonisingly long visa wait times? It's not just you. The average wait time for a visa appointment at the US consulate in New Delhi is 522 days for tourist visas and 471 days for student visas, according to the US Department of State's website Travel.State.Gov. The typical wait period for a US visa appointment in Mumbai is 10 days for a student visa and 517 days for a visiting visa.
"As part of this recovery, the US government is prioritising national interest and repeat travel (for applicants who have already had a US visa), which may mean that some travellers applying for their first visitor visa experience a longer wait time. Examples of priority groups include students, temporary agricultural workers, other workers and key business travellers," a US embassy official said.
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The delay, though, is not unique to the US. Canadian, British, and Schengen state visa applications are all experiencing delays. The 26 European nations that make up the Schengen Area no longer use passports and operate under a single, unified visa system.
"Majority of the European embassies are not even giving appointments for visas. Sweden is among the rare countries giving appointments. Similarly, one may get an appointment for September-end in Switzerland. VFS has a visa-at-home service for Austrian visas (for an extra charge). People are trying to get Schengen visas from these places," Travel Agents Federation of India joint secretary Anil Kalsi quoted the news portal.
People are choosing alternative travel plans as countries deal with the post-pandemic boom in travel, but those who depend on their visas to enter certain countries, such as students, continue to be the worst affected.