New Delhi, India: Starting January 1, 2025, Indian nationals hoping to travel or work in the United States will experience a streamlined process for scheduling and rescheduling non-immigrant visa appointments. The US Embassy in India announced new regulations that aim to reduce long wait times and improve the overall visa application experience.

The move follows a series of efforts to ease visa processing, including the recent overhaul of the H-1B visa program by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

Under the new rules, Indian applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, including tourist and business visas (B1/B2), will have more flexibility in scheduling and rescheduling their appointments. 

Applicants can now reschedule their appointments once without incurring additional fees. However, if they miss their rescheduled appointment or need to change it again, they will be required to pay the application fee again and book a new appointment.

“This will make it easier and faster for everyone to get appointments,” the US Embassy in India stated. 

“To ensure fairness and efficiency, we encourage applicants to attend their scheduled interviews and to be mindful of the new guidelines.”

Despite these improvements, the visa appointment wait times for Indian applicants remain substantial. As of now, the wait for B1/B2 visitor visas is as follows:

– Mumbai: 438 days

– Chennai: 479 days

– Delhi: 441 days

– Kolkata: 436 days

– Hyderabad: 429 days

For student visas (F-1), the wait times are also lengthy:

– Mumbai: 193 days

– Chennai: 106 days

– Delhi: 150 days

– Kolkata: 143 days

– Hyderabad: 115 days

The US Embassy stressed the importance of attending scheduled appointments to help keep the process running smoothly. 

“Since wait times are long, please ensure you are able to attend on the date you have selected,” the embassy added.

H-1B Visa Overhaul to Benefit Indian Workers

In a related development, the DHS introduced a new rule to modernize the H-1B visa program, which is crucial for US companies looking to hire skilled foreign workers, particularly in tech and other high-demand fields. The rule, effective January 17, 2025, is designed to speed up the approval process, provide employers with more flexibility in retaining workers, and improve the program’s oversight.