Recession or boom, the US remains the favourite destination for Indian business travellers and tourists.
The US embassy in India expects a 14 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of visas that it will be processing till 2020, with the number of visas issued crossing the 2-million mark by that year.
Addressing a press conference, the Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs, Mr James W. Herman, said that the number of visas issued could touch about 2.1 million by 2020.
Responding to a question on whether the recent Executive Order of the US President, Mr Barack Obama, which liberalised certain types of visas for Indians, was meant to attract business people or tourists, Mr Herman said “Our reading of the executive order is as broad as possible. The order does not apply to employment visas, which are the H and L visas, as well as student visas.”
“It is important to increase the people-to-people ties by issuing maximum visas and combining B1-B2 the business tourist visas. It allows one to visit relatives on one visit and do business on another visit without applying for another visa,” he added.
Officials said visa issuals grew at around 4 per cent per year from 2001-08. “But because of 9/11, there was a significant drop. But over the last couple of years there was a surge, it was up about 30 per cent for a while,” officials said.
Officials added that the current period was the best time to apply for a US visa.
“We have no wait time. Our peak season starts from beginning of April which is when we get really busy. Now it will take less than a week to get an appointment except in Hyderabad,” Mr Herman said.