Us Visa

From July 16, those holding H1-B visa, kin can apply for jobs in Canada too

There are approximately 400,000 H-1B visa holders in the US, which is why the government is setting a cap on the new stream of people who could hold those visas at 10,000.

'American dream': US visas for Indians now come through China

The US administration has waived the in-person interviews requirement whenever possible to reduce the wait time for visa clearances

Bill to reform H-1B and L-1 visa programme introduced in US Senate

A group of influential lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan legislation in the US Senate to comprehensively overhaul the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes and usher in more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The L-1 is the other type of work visa the US issues to professionals looking to work in the country. Unlike the H-1B, where an individual is looking to join an American company, the L-1 visa is issued to those who are already employed by the company in another country, and who are merely relocating to an American office. Two influential Senators -- Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley -- have introduced this legislation in the US Senate. The co-sponsors include Senators Tommy Tuberville,

Wait time for US visitor's visa interview in India cut by 60%: Official

The wait time for a US visitor's visa interview in India has been reduced by 60 per cent this year, a senior official has said, attributing it to several steps the United States has taken, including increasing the number of officials and opening other diplomatic missions to process these applications. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services Julie Stufft told PTI in an interview that the goal of the State Department is to get to 1 million visas issued this year, which would be above the pre-pandemic number. "We have increased the number of officers going to India. We have set up arrangements, which is unprecedented, with other embassies in the world like Bangkok to take Indians who are seeking visas. We are opening a new consulate in Hyderabad... and we're just focused on making sure that we can bring the wait time down in India," she said. Stufft noted that Frankfurt, London and Abu Dhabi have taken a lot of Indian citizens who are seeking visas. "We have asked these

Apply for jobs, give interviews on tourist, biz visa in US: Federal agency

The move by the USCIS came as thousands of highly skilled foreign-born workers, including Indians, in the US, have lost their jobs due to a series of recent layoffs at companies like Google, Microsoft

Apply for jobs, give interviews on tourist, biz visa in US: Federal agency

The US has announced that individuals travelling to the country on a business or tourist visa - B-1 and B-2 - can apply for new jobs and even appear in interviews, but the prospective employees must ensure that they have changed their visa status before starting a new role. B-1 and B-2 visas are generally referred to as B visas, and they are the most common types of visa issued for a wide range of uses in the United States. The B-1 visa is issued mainly for short-term business trips, while the B-2 visa is issued mainly travelling for tourism purposes. In a note, and a series of tweets, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Wednesday when nonimmigrant workers are laid off, they may not be aware of their options and may, in some instances, wrongly assume that they have no option but to leave the country within 60 days. The move by the USCIS came as thousands of highly skilled foreign-born workers, including Indians, in the US, have lost their jobs due to a series

Now international students can apply for US visa a year in advance

In a much-needed relief for foreign students looking to study in the US, the Biden administration has announced they can now apply for a visa up to a year before their academic term begins. The State Department, however, said that international students will not be allowed to enter the country on a student visa more than 30 days before the start of their programme. International students are normally issued two categories of US visas F and M. Student (F and M) visas for new students can be issued up to 365 days in advance of the start date for a course of study, the State Department said. However, you will not be allowed to enter the United States on your student visa more than 30 days before the start date, it said on Tuesday. A student can enter the US before 30 days of the start of their programme on a valid visitor (B) visa. A student visa is issued by US embassies and consulates based on the I-20 form issued by their academic institutions. The State Department mandates that

India 'number one' priority, have reduced wait time for visa: US Officials

India is the United States' number one priority, US Visa officials said while adding that after the COVID pandemic, there has been a rise of around 36 per cent in visa processing across the country

EB-5 visa: What is it, who can apply and how it is different from H1-B visa

H1-B visa requires a sponsor for the immigrant to stay in the US but no such sponsorship is needed in the EB-5 scheme

Amid backlog, now Indians can apply for US visa from other countries

Earlier, the US had launched initiatives like including scheduling special interviews for first time applicants and increasing strength of consular staff

Application for visa renewal can be submitted through dropbox: US Embassy

People seeking renewal of US visa can now submit their applications through dropbox, the US Embassy has said while clarifying that such requests would not be entertained through email. According to John Ballard, the consular chief at the US Consulate General in Mumbai, the US embassy and consulates in India have prepared to receive a record number of visas from Indian students in 2023. The US embassy adjudicated over 1,25,000 student visas in 2022. "It was the most students that we have ever adjudicated here in India and we expect in 2023, we will have even more Indian students that will be coming into apply for visas," Ballard told PTI.

US launches new initiative to cut delays in visa processing in India

With an aim to cut delays in visa processing in India, the US has launched new initiatives, including scheduling special interviews for first time applicants and increasing strength of consular staff. As part of the multi-pronged approach to cut the visa backlog, the US embassy in Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad conducted "special Saturday interview days" on January 21. "On January 21, the US mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days, as part of a larger effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants," the US embassy said on Sunday. "The United States Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad all opened consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews," it said in a statement. The mission will continue to open "additional slots" for appointments to take place on select Saturdays in the coming months. "These ...

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Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: US

The United States is making every effort to reduce the waiting time for visa interview appointment in India as soon as possible, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. "Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. The US issued more student visas in fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016, he said, adding that its embassy and consulates in India in particular broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year. "We issued nearly 1,25,000 student visas. We recognize that some applicants may still face extended visa wait times, and we're making every effort to further reduce visa interview appointment wait times as quickly as possible in India and around the world, including for first time tourist visa applicants," he said. Responding to a question, Price said he .

H-1B, EB-5 visa application fees to shoot up under proposed USCIS rule

H-1B visa petitioners would also need to pay $215 in pre-registration fees, up from the current $10 fee

US embassy starts 12-day visa programme; people waiting fume over backlog

Indians in queue for US visas have been left fuming even as the American embassy in Delhi started a 12-day visas programme

Efforts underway to cut wait time for issuance of visa in India: US

The US is undertaking "tremendous efforts" to solve the problem of long wait time in issuance of visas in India, US Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Elizabeth Jones said on Friday, acknowledging that the situation in the country is particularly "bad" because of the high demand. The newly-appointed diplomat also said that the issue is on the "top of the mind" of Washington and efforts being initiated to cut the wait time for grant of visas included recruitment and training of visa counsellors. There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. At a media interaction, Jones said the problem of long wait time for visas was triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, adding the long backlogs were reported from various parts of the globe. "They are particularly bad in India because the demand for visas is so high. That's one of the big elements; it's one of the big .

US visa processing likely to reach pre-pandemic levels in FY23: State dept

The US visa processing is rebounding faster than projected and is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in Fiscal Year 2023, the State Department has said, addressing the growing concern over backlog of visa applications from countries like India. The State Department said it was committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States while safeguarding national security. "The Department of State is successfully lowering visa interview wait times worldwide. We have doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel to do this important work, visa processing is rebounding faster than projected, and in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 we expect to reach pre-pandemic visa processing levels," it said in a media note on Thursday. Giving the reason behind delays, it said many applicants for US visas are required by the country's law to appear in person. However, local pandemic-era restrictions on public places like our overseas consular sections curbed our ability to see visa ...

How are visa delays hurting both India and the US?

Waiting periods for US visas are expected to ease by mid-2023. That's cold comfort for Indians facing a waiting period of up to 900 days for appointments. What has been the impact of this long queue?

US visa processing time expected to fall by mid-2023, says official

The waiting period for issuance of American visas is expected to see a significant fall by summer of 2023 and the number is projected to reach around 1.2 million, a senior official of the US embassy said on Thursday. "India is number one priority for Washington (for issuance of visas). Our aim is to bring the situation to the pre-Covid-19 level by the middle of next year," the official said. India has been one of the very few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted. Considering the long wait time for grant of visas, the US is also rolling out a series of initiatives including hiring of more personnel and increasing the "drop box" facilities, the official said. The plan is to issue around one lakh visas every month. The official said the US has already identified H (H1B) and L category visas for Indians as its priority and nearly 1,00,000 slots were released recently for those wanting to renew the ...