US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they planned to clear the backlog of Indian visa applications soon

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has taken up the issue of visa delays for Indian applicants with the US administration.

Speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the two met on Tuesday, he said he had informed his American counterpart about the "challenges" when it comes to Indian visa applications.

He continued by saying that he had every trust that Secretary Blinken and the US administration would tackle this problem seriously .

He said, "On mobility, specifically visas, this is particularly crucial, given its centrality to education, business, technology, and family reunions; there have been some challenges of late, and I flagged it to Secretary Blinken and his team, and I have every confidence that they will look at some of these problems seriously and positively."

EAM Jaishankar pointed out that "it is also in our mutual interest to facilitate the development and mobility of talent. We agreed that impediments in this regard should be addressed".

Responding to a question on the issue, Secretary Blinken said, "We have a plan when it comes to India to address the backlog of visas that’s built up. I think you’ll see that play out in the coming months, but it’s something that we’re very focused on.".

He also referred to the people-to-people ties – whether it’s students, whether it’s business people, whether it’s tourists, whether it’s family – as something that really links India and the US together. "And the last thing we want to do is make that any more difficult," he remarked.