The US Is On Track To Issue Over 1 Million Visas To Indians This Year.
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The US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, also stated in an interview with the Press Trust of India this week that they are prioritizing work visas, specifically the H-1B and L visas, which are in high demand by Indian IT professionals.
A senior official mentioned that the US is on track to issue over 1 million visas to Indians this year. The Biden administration is committed to ensuring that all student visas for Indians, whose schools start this fall, are processed this summer.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialized occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise.
Technology companies rely on it to hire thousands of employees annually from countries like India and China.
Donald Lu said, “We are on track to issue over 1 million visas this year. This is a record number for us, with a record number of student visas and immigrant visas.”
He also stated that the US is committed to ensuring all student visas for Indians, whose schools start this fall, are processed this summer.
Concerns are growing in India about the long wait times for first-time visa applicants, especially those applying under the B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories.
India is now the second-largest source of international students coming to the United States.
Donald Lu said, “We are also prioritizing work visas, specifically the H-1B and L visas. In some of our consular sections in India, the wait times for these visas are now less than 60 days. We will continue to ensure that we prioritize visas for workers because this is important for both the American and Indian economies.”
He mentioned, “For certain petition-based non-immigrant work visa categories, we plan to resume domestic visa renewals for applicants who meet specific requirements, including being physically present in the US. We plan to pilot this by the end of this year. This will eliminate the need for these applicants to travel abroad to renew their visas.”
Responding to a question about Indian IT professionals on H-1B visas who have lost their jobs, Donald Lu noted that the Department of Homeland Security recently released new information specifically addressing what these workers should do to adjust their status.
He stated that India-US relations receive bipartisan support in the US.
“I think part of the answer lies in the truly strong diaspora community you can find in the US. For 30 years or more, our relationship has been partly driven by Indian Americans who have lived here for decades but still maintain very strong ties to India,” he said.
“This is an amazing number because we are not very close geographically. Traveling back and forth is very expensive. But those who have come here or perhaps whose parents came from India, those connections remain. They are not severed by immigration,” he added.
“In fact, we now know that over 100,000 Americans live in India as well. This relationship is beneficial for both of us. Yes. So, I think that holds true for political parties as it does for families in the US. Many of my Indian American friends grew up here. I think it’s just part of the fabric of the United States,” Donald Lu said.
