According to media reports, US consular teams are engaged in a "huge push" to process more visa applications in India, US Department of State official spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing.
He called it a "top priority" for the US government and acknowledged that "there is more that can be done."
Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming US visit, Miller, when asked about what India can expect from the US with regard to diplomacy, immigration and visa issues, said, "With respect to visas, our consular teams have been making a huge push to process as many visa applications as possible in India, including in those visa categories that are key to the bilateral relationship. This is a top priority for our government."
"We know that there is more work that we can do, and we are working hard to do it. With respect to the broader question again, I don't want to get ahead of the White House about what kind of announcements we might have related to the trip," he added.
Miller also called the US partnership with India as one of the "most consequential relationships", reiterating US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s similar statement during the latter’s keynote address at the recently concluded USIBC India Ideas Summit.
Modi is set to travel to the US for a state visit from June 21-24 and will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner at the White House, the Ministry of External Affairs announced in an earlier press release.
PM Modi will also address the chairman and CEOs of top US companies at John F Kennedy Centre in Washington. During his visit, he will address the joint meeting of the US Congress for the second time.
Last week, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti while speaking at the US Embassy in India highlighted the strength of India and the United States relationship, adding that more Indian students applied to the United States than students from any other country.
Garcetti said that one out of every five US students' visas was issued in India in 2022. The US Mission in India held its Seventh Annual Student Visa Day countrywide with consular officers interviewing Indian Student Visa applications.
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"It was so inspiring to see the work of this mission and to feel the strength of the United States and India relationship. More Indians come to the United States as students than students from any other country. Last year, India became number one and I don't see that changing ahead in the future. I see that relationship at the very top of how we articulate our values of welcoming not just Americans to higher education but to opening that door to people worldwide," said the envoy.
"One out of every five US student visas was issued here in India in 2022. One out of five in the world which is more than the proportion of the Indian population in the world. So, Indians have not only pursued an education in the United States but for decades have shown their excellence in the United States and we are on track to process the highest number of visa applications in our history," Garcetti added.
