The US embassy in India announced that Indians who are planning to travel overseas can now make a visa appointment with consulates in such nations in an effort to reduce processing times for visas.

The embassy used Thailand as an example, noting that the island country has increased its B1/B2 appointment capacity to accommodate Indian visitors who will be in the country in the coming months. Bangkok's B1/B2 interview wait time is under 14 days.

"Are you planning any international travel soon? If so, you might be able to schedule a visa appointment with the American embassy or consulate there. For instance, @USEmbassyBKK has increased the number of B1/B2 appointment slots available for Indian travelers to Thailand in the near future, "stated the US Embassy in a tweet.

In an effort to shorten the time it takes to process visas, the embassy introduced a number of new efforts last month, including setting up special interviews for first-time applicants and beefing up the consular staff. Additionally, the mission has begun interviewing candidates on a few Saturdays.

Additionally, for applicants with prior US visas, the US State Department has established remote processing of interview waiver cases.

Concerns about the protracted waiting time for first-time visa applicants have grown. In October of last year, the wait time for first-time B1/B2 visa applicants in India was almost three years. While the wait time for a student visa (F-1) has stabilized at roughly 90 days, it is still quite long for business and tourist visas (B-1, B-2) and can reach almost two years in the majority of consulates nationwide.

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