Update on Super Saturday – U.S. Consular Mission India - Dec 7, 2024

The U.S. Mission in India launched a series of special Saturday interview days in January 2024 to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants (those requiring in-person visa interviews). The fourth “Super Saturday” was conducted on December 7, 2024.

This initiative is an innovative approach to addressing the growing demand for travel between the United States and India.

The United States Embassy in New Delhi, along with the Consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, opened their consular operations on Saturday, December 7, 2024. All participating posts utilized maximum resources to conduct as many visa interviews as possible on this Super Saturday.

Mark McGovern, Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, stated, “This year, we’ve already processed more than one million visas across India.”

The U.S. Mission to India emphasized its commitment to prioritizing legitimate travel and has adjudicated thousands of visas, including a record number of student and employment visas. Furthermore, they reported that interview wait times in India are now at pre-pandemic levels or lower in every visa category.

The U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad broke its own "Super Saturday" record for the number of visa interviews conducted, recording the highest count among all consulates in India.

Increased staffing, the use of technology, and scheduling events like "Super Saturdays" are part of the ongoing efforts to improve processing and reduce interview wait times.