Watch: US Ambassador Eric Garcetti’s ”Super Saturday” At Delhi Visa Counter

US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, paid a special visit to the US visa counter in Delhi on Saturday and met with the applicants there who came to get their visas. A video of his visit was shared by the US Embassy in India that showed Mr Garcetti meeting with visa applicants and interacting with them. Notably, the US Mission to India exceeded its target by processing over one million non-immigrant visa applications this year.

”The gang’s all here! Our consular team in New Delhi woke up early this weekend for a special ”Super Saturday” dedicated to meeting the unprecedented demand for U.S. visitor visas. We are seeing extra visa applicants with the help of Ambassador Eric Garcetti, our special guest finger printer,” the video was captioned. 

Watch it here:

The gang’s all here! Our consular team in New Delhi woke up early this weekend for a special “Super Saturday” dedicated to meeting the unprecedented demand for U.S. visitor visas. We are seeing extra visa applicants with the help of Ambassador Eric Garcetti, our special guest… pic.twitter.com/G65riU9ni6

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) November 6, 2023

Reacting to the video, he wrote, ”SuperSaturday is back, and I’m so excited to join the Consular team! They are going above and beyond to ensure our commitment to visa processing is met, making travel easier and reducing interview wait times.”

In September, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti personally handed over the one-millionth visa to an Indian couple visiting their son for his graduation at MIT.

The increased demand for US visas is evident from the waiting periods for interview appointments. According to the data from the US State Department, the current waiting period for getting an interview appointment for an American visa in the B1 and the B2 categories stands at 37 days in Delhi, 322 days in Mumbai, 126 days in Kolkata, 341 days in Chennai and 511 days in Hyderabad, PTI reported.

To address the surging demand for US visas, the United States has made substantial investments in its operations in India. The US Mission has expanded its workforce to streamline visa processing, upgraded facilities at the US Consulate in Chennai, and inaugurated a new Consulate building in Hyderabad.

Last year, over 1.2 million Indians visited the US, solidifying this as one of the world’s most substantial travel relationships. Indians now account for over 10% of all visa applicants worldwide, with 20% seeking student visas and 65% applying for H&L-category employment visas.