US eyes 14 per cent rise in Indian travellers
The US has implemented a number of measures to expedite visa processing and is eying a 14 per cent rise in number of Indian travellers to US, said an American diplomat on Friday.
The US consular team in India processed close to 700,000 visa applications in 2011, said James W Herman, Minister-Counsellor for Consular Affairs at the US embassy here.
“We target 14 per cent year-on-year growth in visa processing at least for the next 10 years. By 2020, our target is to issue 2.1 million visa for Indian travellers,” Herman said at a media briefing here.
He said there will be an increase in visas issued under all categories. However, the tourist visa segment will witness maximum growth.
Asked whether there is any shift in President Obama’s policy towards issuing visa to foreigners, the diplomat said: “There is as such no change in US visa policy. We are just streamlining and improving the things.” Almost 3 million strong Indian diaspora live in the United States.
Herman said increasing the number of travellers will help boost business and economic ties between the two countries. There are some 104,000 Indian students currently studying in the US. In 2011, a record 67,105 H1Bs work visas were issued.
