U.S. Travel: Visa Wait Times from India Drop, Others Persist

The wait time for visitor visas to the U.S. from India has dropped by nearly half in recent weeks, according to the U.S. Travel Association, though it remains nearly a year. Other key inbound markets continue to have much longer wait times, according to the association.

From mid-March to early April, the wait time for U.S. visa applicants in India dropped from 669 days to 337 days, the organization reported. It credited such U.S. State Department actions as increased consulate staffing and expanding operating hours at consulates to include Saturdays.

The organization also noted that several key markets still have wait times of well over a year as of April 14, including 752 days for Colombia, 590 days for Mexico and 511 days for Brazil.

“The results we’re seeing in India are proof that, with the right tools, [the State Department] can make significant progress on this issue,” U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement. “However, there is clearly more work ahead to lower wait times worldwide.”

USTA said the long wait times will cut into the travel marketshare for the U.S., as many of the largest inbound markets requiring visas to the U.S. are not required to obtain visas to travel to the United Kingdom, the European Union or Canada. 

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