

Given that India was one of the largest countries hit by the pandemic, the US was swift to impose travel bans and reduce staff at all their consulates in India. The Coronavirus pandemic led lockdowns, shortage of staff and global travel restrictions have impacted the visa processing across all US consulates abroad. New appointment slots will be available by Spring 2022. This has come when there are scores of eligible visa applicants hesitating to travel to India for a lack of available appointments. In a welcome move, The US State Department has announced an additional 20,000 dropbox interview waiver appointment slots in various US consulates in India.
