During a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the “strong degree of trust” between India and the United States. While acknowledging the strength of the bilateral relationship, Jaishankar raised concerns about the prolonged delays faced by Indian citizens in obtaining US visas, describing it as a critical issue requiring urgent attention.
“When it came to various regulations and processes, I flagged some concerns which are very widespread in India about delays in visas…the relationship is not well-served if it takes 400 odd days for people to get a visa,” Jaishankar said.
He emphasised that visa delays not only impact businesses and tourism but also hinder people-to-people connections, limiting the full potential of bilateral engagement.