As demand for travel between the United States and India increases, consulates have found ways to ensure they don’t fall behind. Many initiatives have been taken to deal with the increase in the number of Indian visa applicants awaiting their travel to the United States. “Super Saturdays” are one such initiative aimed at reducing visa waiting times.

“The consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad will open their consular operations this Saturday, December 7 to accommodate applicants requiring in-person visa interviews… all participating posts will employ maximum resources to conduct the greatest number of visa interviews. visa on Super Saturday,” the US mission to India said in a statement on December 6.

The process of conducting special interviews on Saturdays began earlier this year to reduce visa delays for new applicants.

In the meantime, for those who already have a American visaThe Department of State has made remote processing of interview waiver cases possible. Along with this, the number of consular officers permanently assigned to the embassy will also be increased, according to the statement.

Mark McGovern, consul general at United States EmbassyNew Delhi, said ties between India and the United States are stronger and hence there is also a stronger demand for visas. The Consul General added that for this kind of impact, they are ready to work overtime and also on Saturdays.

One million visas across India have already been processed every year, he added. The U.S. mission in India prioritized legitimate travel and granted thousands of visas, including a record number of student and work visas. In all other visa categories, wait times for interviews in India are at pre-pandemic levels or lower.