US visa wait to get longer due to Covid protocols

DELAY IN TRAVEL PLANS

US visa wait to get longer due to Covid protocols

Subhro.Niyogi@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:14.11.2021

The joy of the US removing travel restrictions to the country from India on November 8 has been short lived for many from Kolkata who intend to fly to the US to meet friends and family members there. A senior diplomat has warned that applying for visa will take significantly longer due to Covid protocols, leading to delays in travel.

Businessman Karan Sarda whose sister stays in Washington state has been waiting to travel to meet her to mourn their mother’s death in May. Sarda and his wife’s B-1/B-2 visa that is given for tourism and business purposes expired a year-and-a-half ago and they were unable to renew it due to the pandemic. After learning that travel restrictions had been lifted, they wanted to apply for drop box renewal — a process by which visas are automatically renewed for usually 10 years for visitors who have been to the US before — but haven’t yet got a slot to submit the application.

“When my travel agent attempted to take a slot, the earliest date available was on June 16, 2022!” he said.

Hina Vasa, her husband Hitesh and their two daughters had applied for B1/ B2 visa renewal eight months ago when their earlier visas expired in April 2020. They are unaware of the fate of the applications. “We have to travel in the last week of May to be able to attend our son’s convocation ceremony in Irvine, California,” said Hina.

Travel agent Joydeep Mukherjee said he had 19 passports for visa renewal but was unable to apply till slots are opened by the US.

Donald L Heflin, the minister counselor for consular affairs that is in charge of issuing visas, has clarified that January to May appointments would gradually open up from either by this month end or in December but warned that numbers would be much lower than in the past.

While those with valid visas can travel immediately, those who require visas will have to wait. In December and January, the focus will be on F-1 (student) and H & L (employment) visa, followed by B-1/B-2 drop box cases. But wait times will be long.

Explaining the reason for the delay, Heflin said the there were distancing regulations in several states and local governments that needed to be followed.

“At the visa offices and consulates, the buildings were not designed with such social distancing norms in mind. Ditto for submission of drop box applications. Appointments have to be taken and that will take time because fewer appointments will be issued to ensure distancing norms are maintained and everyone is safe. For the foreseeable future, we will do significantly less number of visas and drop box cases,” he said.