The waiting time for visa interview slots has significantly reduced for some countries but for others the lengthy wait continues, the visa processing facilitation agency for many countries said on Tuesday.
Post-Covid, there was a long waiting time for interview slots for American and some Schengen visas.
The queue has since reduced for some countries following deployment of more personnel and ramping up of infrastructure to process visa applications.
“The delay in the waiting time for visa application for interview slots for some Schengen countries was between three and six weeks. Now, the waiting period has come down to one week. (In some cases) Slots are available even a day after (sending) the application,” said Vishal Jairath, head, South Asia, VFS Global, which facilitates visa applications for 67 countries across the world and for 52 countries in India.
However, to get an appointment slot for an American visa, an applicant still has to wait for a long time.
Last year, the waiting period for an appointment for a US visa was two years on an average. “Now, it is eight to nine months. It should come down further,” said Jairath, whose agency facilitates processing of applications for American visas as well as those of Schengen and other countries.
Tour operators said that among the Schengen countries, the waiting time for German, Italian, French, Dutch and Swiss visas is still long, Jairath said. “Resources play an important role in reducing the waiting time. These countries are now adding resources,” he said.
The US missions, too, are deploying more personnel and boosting infrastructure to speed up processing of visa applications. “More counters have recently been opened in the US consulate in Hyderabad,” Jairath said.
Tour operators said getting a US visa is still a lengthy affair.
“The interview slot for a new visa application submitted now is available in April next year. But for Schengen countries the slots are available readily,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, representing eastern India.
Jairath said they were expecting a rise in visa applications this year compared with last year. The countries that are likely to see a rise in visa applications include the UK, the US, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, China, Japan and Canada.
“Also there are demands for Nordic countries like Finland because there are travellers who have already visited popular destinations in Europe (and are now keen on visiting the Nordic countries),” he said.
According to VFS Global, compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, the number of visa applications went up by 93 per cent across India and 91 per cent in Kolkata.
Compared to 2022, the numbers went up by 16 per cent throughout India and 2 per cent in Kolkata.
Jairath said VFS Global is also increasing the number of personnel by 30 to 35 per cent at its Kolkata centre, expecting a surge in number of visa applications.
There has also been a rise in the number of takers for “visa at doorstep”, a premium service offered for an additional cost, he said.
