The worst fears of many travellers become real as consular offices for different countries have reported backlogs in visa applications and interviews increasing constantly. Media reports have revealed that around 4 Lakh Indians are waiting for vis appointments for US visas and 700,000 are waiting for Canadian visa appointments.
Meanwhile, the UK visa processing time has been reported to be six weeks while countries like France and Iceland have no appointments left. MoneyControl reported that VFS has been receiving 25,000 tourist visa applications, while, also predicting high demand for student visas in August 2022.
Check out the visa processing delays for popular countries among Indians outlined below
Also Read: Record F1 Student Visas Issues, US Expects High Intake
Visa Processing Delays in the US
After recently announcing the availability of in-person visa appointments from September this year, it has been reported that all slots till April 2023 have been booked at consular officers in Delhi and Mumbai.
The official backlog report published by the USA highlighted the number of eligible applicants waiting for an interview date after July 2022 appointment scheduling. The report revealed that 409,645 applicants await an interview, compared to the average of 60,866 applicants in 2019, who waited for an interview each month.
On the other hand, visa applicants with all the documents at hand submitted at the National Visa Centre and ready for an interview as of June 30, 2022, were 433,819. Meanwhile, this number for July 2022 interview appointments is around 24,174.
In 2021, a record 62,000 Indian students received their US student visas. Following this, the US embassy opened 100,000 student visa appointments, however, students have missed their academic semesters due to delays.
Visa Processing Delays in Canada
As per reports, Canada has been one of the worst hit countries, in terms of visa processing delays. Currently, there is a visa backlog of 700,000 Indian visa applications, with over 2.4 million worldwide.
Also Read: Canada Deploys Money, Resources for Speedy Clearance of Student Visa Backlogs
However, Canada has been working towards reducing the backlog since the start of this year, infusing around CAD 85 million for the purpose of facilitating quicker visa processing. It has been reported that the IRCC will also be travelling to India soon to figure out a solution for the visa backlogs and delays.
Visa Processing Delays in the UK
Due to increased demand from India, coupled with limited visa appointment slots and “stretched visa processing”, the total time taken to process a UK visa application has increased substantially. Currently, the standard, visa processing time in the UK is around six weeks.
Nevertheless, the UK has introduced an option for visa applicants, wherein, they will be able to choose a “priority service” that will fast-track the visa processing and get it completed within 5 working days. On the other hand, for those choosing a Super Priority Visa, candidates paying GBP 800 on top of the application fee will receive a decision by the end of the following working day.
Visa Processing Delays in Schengen Countries
MoneyControl reported that most countries in the Schengen Area have no available visa appointment slots left until mid-September. However, some countries in the area may have a few slots still available in August.
The reported challenge that has resulted in the backlog of visa processing is the high demand for visas and the limited number of visas that can be issued. In Spain, while not in force yet, the authorities may ask travellers to display proof of sufficient funds, i.e. around EUR 100 or GBP 85 per day, reported the Daily Record.
Also Read: International Student Visas Exceed the Pre-Pandemic Levels in France
Visa Processing Delays in Ireland
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland has reported that the approximate visa processing time needed for different visa applications is as follows - 10 days for Business, Employment or Conference/Event purposes, meanwhile, it will take 20 days to process visa applications for study, visit or purposes related to joining family members.
However, the above-mentioned visa processing delays do not include the time needed to get an appropriate visa appointment time and the time needed for the passports to reach the Irish embassies.
Asa result of these delays rendering many Indian students unable to join their respective universities abroad, India has been in talks with USA, UK, Canada and other countries over visa delays. On the other hand, those applying for tourist visas have been forced to choose other destinations as a result of these delays.
Get Your Student Visa Applications Reviewed by Experts!
Source: MoneyControl
