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Delay in issuing visas is causing an emotional toll on individuals worldwide who are uncertain about when they will see their elderly parents again
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The backlog in visa processing also impacts individuals already in the United States waiting for their parents to visit
Immigrants seeking visitor visas to the United States are experiencing significant delays due to a backlog in visa processing abroad.
This delay is causing an emotional toll on individuals worldwide who are uncertain about when they will see their elderly parents again. The backlog in visa processing also impacts individuals already in the United States waiting for their parents to visit.
The State Department reported that the visa processing backlog had surged to a record-breaking 500,000 applications, causing wait times of several years for certain applicants. The delay has created financial, emotional, and professional hardships for many families, as loved ones are separated for extended periods. Families are uncertain when they can reunite with aging parents due to long wait times for visa applications. This backlog is also having an impact within the United States.
Sunil Dhar has had to make unusual arrangements for his son’s wedding to ensure the bride’s parents from Delhi can attend. From San Francisco Bay Area, Dhar has the unique task of ensuring everyone is in the right country for his son’s wedding in Blaine, Washington.
According to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office, international visitor numbers to the United States are still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with a 40 percent decrease in arrivals recorded in 2022. Brazil, India, Mexico, and Colombia are experiencing the worst delays in obtaining visitor visas
In this case, the bride’s parents from Delhi must obtain visitor visas to enter the United States, which has a nearly year-long wait time in India. The wedding will take place in the American Kitchen, a rentable building on the southern side of the park in Washington.
The bride’s parents and other family members will enter the park from the northern half of British Columbia with Canadian visas. Dhar wanted to avoid a repeat of visa-related absences from his elder son’s wedding last year. For families like Sunil Dhar’s, the wait time for visitor visa applications can be as long as a year, making it difficult for loved ones to attend important events like weddings.
For families like Sunil Dhar’s, the wait time for visitor visa applications can be as long as a year, making it difficult for loved ones to attend important events like weddings.
According to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office, international visitor numbers to the United States are still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with a 40 percent decrease in arrivals recorded in 2022. Brazil, India, Mexico, and Colombia are experiencing the worst delays in obtaining visitor visas.
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