Senate confirms Biden pick for ambassador to India

The U.S. Senate recently confirmed former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be the U.S. ambassador to India, a diplomatic posting that oversees visa processing operations at the embassy and consulates throughout India.

Key Points:

• Garcetti was confirmed as the next U.S. ambassador to India by a 52-42 Senate vote on March 15.
• Garcetti was mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022.
• He will replace Ambassador Beth Jones, who has served as Chargé d’Affaires since October 2022.

Additional Information: Garcetti’s nomination to be ambassador of India was first announced in July 2021. It cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January 2022 but did not receive a full vote in the Senate. President Biden then renominated Garcetti in January 2023.

BAL Analysis: Garcetti will assume the ambassadorship at a time when India continues to struggle with pandemic-related visa backlogs. Over the past months, the U.S. Mission to India has taken steps to help reduce visa processing times, including providing Saturday appointments and increasing staff, among other changes. While wait times in India are still among some of the highest in the world for nonimmigrant (temporary) applicants, the State Department’s most recent estimates show signs of progress. BAL will continue to follow visa processing delays in India and provide information as it is made available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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