Page 5 - Us Visas

US announces overhaul of its annual lottery for H-1B visas to reduce fraud

The US has announced a major overhaul of its annual lottery for the H-1B speciality occupation visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, to curtail the potential for fraud and improve and streamline the registration system. Separately, the US on January 29 has formally launched a pilot programme to renew the much sought-after H-1B visas domestically, a move that is likely to benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals. 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 new overhauled system, among other things, includes the provision of a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers. As a result, unlike in the past when multiple applications by an individual often resulted in abuse in fraud of the system, the H-1B vis

US Embassy sets new record in India, issues 140,000 student visas in 2023

The US Embassy and Consulates in India processed over 1.4 million visas, with visitor visas making up the highest number at 700,000

US starts 5-week H1-B visas renewal drive, to accept 20,000 applications

The announcement by the US Department of State on the pilot program for in-country renewal of certain petition-based temporary work visas, including for Indian nationals, was made in June 2023

US hits H-1B visa cap for FY24: All you need to know

This limit, known as the H-1B cap, is currently set at 85,000, with an additional 20,000 visas reserved for individuals who have earned a Master's degree or higher from a US institution

US set to roll out 'paperless' visas. Here's all that you need to know

The US recently completed the small-scale programme at its diplomatic mission in Dublin and it hopes to gradually roll it out

US to launch domestic work visa renewal programme, Indians to benefit most

The United States is set to begin a pilot programme for domestic renewal of certain categories of H-1B visas in December, a step that will benefit a significantly large number of Indian technology professionals, a US official has said. This comes months after the White House announced the plan during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. In an interview to PTI, Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services, said, "In India, the demand (for US visas) is still very high. The wait time of six, eight and 12 months is not what we need and (it is) not indicative of how we view India." "We want to make sure that Indian travellers can get appointments as quickly as possible. One way we are doing that is through the domestic visa renewal programme, which is focused very much on India. We are piloting that," she said. Over a period of three months, beginning December, the State Department will be issuing 20,000 visas to foreign nationals who are alrea

US Visa Bulletin: Check the cutoff date for Green Card applications in Dec

The visa bulletin serves as a comprehensive overview of immigrant visa availability, distinguishing between "Final Action Dates" and "Dates for Filing Applications"

Record visa applications processed for Indians in 2023: US Embassy

The announcement was made on the same day as US Ambassador Eric Garcetti revealed plans to bolster staff and open new consulates, including in Ahmedabad

US increasing staff, opening new consulates to reduce visa delays: Garcetti

The US is increasing staff strength and opening new consulates, including in Ahmedabad, to reduce the waiting time for issuance of visas from India, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti said on Monday. One consulate was recently opened in Hyderabad and premises are being looked at in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad for new consulates, he said during an interactive session, organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here. "I had a look at the new premises for establishing a consulate in Ahmedabad yesterday. Some more people have already joined the Hyderabad consulate as we are increasing the staff strength in the city and premises are being taken up in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad for setting up new consulates," he said. He said the number of US visas being issued in India had increased by one-third in recent weeks and the embassy was likely to issue 10-15 per cent more visas than usual in the current calendar year. Garcetti said the delay in issuance of visas was due to the large number of ...

Despite visa hurdles, Indian student enrollment in US hits all-time high

Despite a slight dip of 0.2 per cent year-over-year, China remains the leader in international student enrollment in the US, with 289,526 students studying in the country during the same period.

Incomplete DS-160 forms are leading to US visa appointment delays

The DS-160 or Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form is used for temporary travel to the United States for various purposes, such as tourism, business, or study

Wait time for getting appointment for B1, B2 US visas 37 days in Delhi

The waiting period for getting an interview appointment for a US visa in the B1 and the B2 categories (business and tourism) currently stands at 37 days in Delhi, according to official data. The US State Department on its website has shared the estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment for visas at a US embassy or consulate. According to the data updated November 1 on the website, the current waiting period for getting an interview appointment for an American visa in the B1 and the B2 categories stands at 37 days in Delhi, 322 days in Mumbai, 126 days in Kolkata, 341 days in Chennai and 511 days in Hyderabad. Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the US temporarily for business (visa category B1), for tourism (visa category B2), or for a combination of both purposes (B1/B2). The US Embassy in India on Wednesday had posted on X that over the weekend "we opened over a quarter million nonimmigrant visa appointments". "It was a busy weekend f

Visa interviews within standard time frame: US Consulate General Mumbai

The US Consulate General Mumbai said that it has cleared all visa backlog and applicants can now schedule their appointments for immigrant visa interviews within the standard time frame

Making push to process as many visa applications as possible in India: US

The consular teams of the US have been making a huge push to process as many visa applications as possible in India, US Department of State official spokesperson Matthew Miller said

UK to soon disallow international students to bring dependants along

The move comes ahead of the official data, which is expected to show that legal migration has hit a record high of 700,000 this year

US extends visa walk-in interview waiver for more applicants; check here

It is applicable for those who want to renew their US visa within 48 months of expiry

US Mission to India to process more than million visas this year: Official

The US Mission to India, the four consulates and the embassy, is on track to process more than a million visas this year, Jennifer Larson, US Consul General Hyderabad, said on Wednesday. The consulate in Hyderabad represents the US government in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. "We know visa wait times have grown long since the global pandemic began and we recognise the challenges this presents to students, professionals, and tourists who wish to travel to the United States. I'm also happy to report we are making significant progress on that front," Larson told reporters. The US Consulate in Hyderabad recently moved from Paigah Palace to its new campus at Financial District, Nanakramguda, in the IT hub of the city. The new campus is the biggest consulate in South Asia (exclusive of embassies) in terms of staffing and windows and others. "We are not at full capacity yet. We are going to be growing for the next couple of years to get there," she said. Once fully staffed, the ..

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