India and the US on Friday held 11th bilateral Consular Dialogue in New Delhi and discussed ways to enhance cooperation on various issues, including extradition, mobility of students and professionals, safe and legal migration, protection of vulnerable women and children and enabling smooth travel of their respective nationals.
“The Dialogue reinforced the strong people-to-people ties and cooperation that both countries share across consular issues of mutual interest,” the MEA stated in a press release.
“Both sides discussed ways of enhancing cooperation on a wide range of issues such as extradition, mobility of students and professionals, safe and legal migration, protection of vulnerable women and children and enabling smooth travel of their respective nationals,” it further added.
The two sides welcomed the launch of a pilot in the US to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain categories of visas as proactive steps toward strengthening robust connections between people of two nations, according to the release. India and the US agreed to hold the next Consular Dialogue in the US in 2025.
On Thursday, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Rena Bitter, had expressed her excitement about visiting India and participating in the 11th annual dialogue.
In 2023, the US Consular Team in India processed a record 1.4 million US visas in 2023, which is higher than ever, and has reduced visitor visa appointment wait times by 75 per cent, according to the US Embassy in India.
Visitor visas (B1/B2) have rebounded to represent the second-highest number of applications in the US Mission’s history, over 7,00,000. Process improvements and investments in staffing have brought the appointment wait time for visitor visas down from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days around the country with minimal wait time in all categories, according to a statement from the US Embassy in India.
In 2023, the US consular team in India issued over 140,000 student visas, more than in any other country in the world setting a record for the third year in a row.
(ANI)