Us Visas

Waiting for US visa? Your approval time depends on your location in India

The wait time to get a visa from US Consulate General in Mumbai and Kolkata is less than a year, but the US Consulate General Chennai takes 680 days to give appointments

F-1 visa for students: US extends premium processing of work authorisation

This is for students whose Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) is pending, and who want a premium processing upgrade

US taking steps to further facilitate issuance of business visas in India

The challenges pertaining to issuance of visas have been due to Covid

US govt aware of long delays in Indian visa appointments: White House

The Biden Administration is aware of the long delays in visa appointments in India and is working to respond to the "significant demand of these visa services", the White House said Thursday. I can say that the Biden administration is aware of the issues, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference. She was responding to a question on the agonizing long visa appointment period at the US missions in India, which currently runs into more than 1,000 days. While we have made great strides, as you know, because you cover this very closely, in recovering from the pandemic related closures and staffing challenges, we are still working to respond to the significant demand of these visa services, Jean-Pierre said. That is something that we will continue to do. We are successfully lowering visa interview wait times, that's around the world, and we've doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel to do this important work. Visa processing is

Want visa system to be simple, swift: MEA on 1,000-day US visa wait

Amid reports that people in India seeking a tourist or business visa for the US may have to wait for three years to get one, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it has not raised the matter with the country, but expects the visa system of a country to be predictable and less time taking. According to media reports, those planning to visit the United States on visitor visas - B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) - will have to wait for nearly three years and the waiting time for applicants in India is close to 1,000 days. Asked if the matter had been taken up with the US, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We want that when people want to go somewhere, the visa system should be simple. This is our expectation." He said it had not been taken up formally because "we would not want someone commenting on our system." "But we would want the system to be predictable, simple and does not take much time. We have seen the (US) embassy here has said that they are taking steps to .

TMS Ep303: Crypto headwinds, Indo-US visa delay, Markets, Greenwashing

Does the FTX collapse marks the beginning of crypto's end? How are visa delays hurting both India and the US? Is investors' love for digital India over? What is greenwashing? All answers here

Managing the queue: Visa wait time to reduce by June 2023, says US embassy

The State Department has brought in new rules for several visa categories that allow more people to opt out of interviews

US intends to issue 100,000 visas every month to Indian applicants

According to a senior official of the US embassy, India is America's top priority for issuance of visas

Asia-Pacific presidential commission proposes stamping of H-1B visas in US

A presidential commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has unanimously approved a recommendation for the provision of stamping of H-1B visas inside the US, a move if accepted by President Joe Biden will come as a big relief to thousands of foreign professionals, particularly from India. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty 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. As per the current mandatory practice, one needs to apply for a visa stamp at a US Consulate or Embassy abroad before one's H-1B status can be activated. The move came from the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders during its meeting at the White House on Wednesday. Notably, a large number of them either new or waiting for the renewal of H-1B visas are faci

Jaishankar flags US visa concerns; Blinken commits to build back on backlog

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured that the US is "building back" on the backlog of visa applications from Indian nationals and said the Biden administration has a plan that will play out

US issues record 82,000 student visas to Indians between May and June

Highest for any country and 20,000 more than last year

Indian students this year get twice as many US visas as China: Report

A total of 77,799 Indian students received F-1 visas from January to July this year, while in China, 46,145 got the visa

Uncertainty hanging over India-WI T20 matches in US due to visa issues

According to a report in 'cricbuzz.com', the members of both the sides have not received their US visas as yet, forcing CWI to put in place an alternate plan.

Students scramble across country in search of ideal visa appointment dates

Embassies cite spike in applications; delay in announcing board results also affects foreign study plans

US to process 800,000 visas in next 12 months, says American diplomat

The United States embassy in India is likely to process about 8 lakh visas over the next 12 months, a senior diplomat said

US waives in-person interview requirements for visa applicants in India

These applicants eligible for the waiver are students (F, M, and academic J visas), workers (H-1, H-2, H-3, and individual L visas), Culture and extraordinary ability (O, P, and Q visas).

US okays a record 55,000 student, exchange visas in 2021 from India so far

Embassies and Consulates typically begin interviewing fall semester students in May. But this year, the pandemic created logistical challenges for the US Mission's consular teams

Indian talent moving to Canada due to H1B visa policy: US lawmakers told

The much sought-after Indian talent is now getting attracted towards Canada in large numbers, away from the United States because of its outdated H-1B visa policy

US restricting visas, taking other action over Ethiopia Tigray crisis

Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the six months the conflict between Ethiopian troops and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front has raged in the northern regional state

US proposes 18-mth delay in calculating prevailing wages of H1B visas

The proposed delay will provide the Department of Labour with sufficient time to consider the rule's legal and policy issues thoroughly