5 mn Indians now hold US visa, says Garcetti

THE outgoing United States ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, said on Monday that over 5 million Indians currently hold American visas, with visa issuances spiking by more than 60% since his appointment as his country's envoy here.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi

Speaking at an event at Fulbright House in New Delhi, Garcetti said that for the second consecutive year, the US issued over 1 million non-immigrant visas to Indians, including a record number of visitor visas. He also highlighted the substantive reduction of wait times for all visa types, with the exception of first-time visitor visas.

"Since becoming Ambassador, we have increased our visa issuance by more than 60%, and for the second year in a row, we have issued over a million non-immigrant visas, including a record number of visitor visas," Garcetti said. More than 5 million Indians now hold US visas.