Visa

BLS International reports 26.8% rise in net profit to ₹175.23 crore

BLS International's Q2 profit jumps 27% to ₹175 crore on strong visa and consular growth; enters hospitality sector with UK hotel acquisition

Visa, Mastercard reach revised swipe fee settlement with merchants

The settlement calls for Visa and Mastercard to lower swipe fees, which are now typically 2per cent to 2.5per cent, by 0.1 percentage points for five years

BLS Intl bags visa outsourcing contract from Cyprus embassy in Kazakhstan

BLS International Services on Thursday said it has signed a contract with the Embassy of Cyprus in Kazakhstan to provide comprehensive visa outsourcing services. Under this agreement, BLS International will oversee Cyprus visa application operations in Kazakhstan, leveraging its global expertise and technology-driven processes to deliver a transparent and hassle-free experience for all applicants, a statement said. "This partnership with the Embassy of Cyprus in Kazakhstan signifies more than an expansion of our global footprint - it reflects our vision to make cross-border mobility simpler, smarter, and more inclusive. "Through this collaboration, we aim to deliver an experience that embodies efficiency, transparency, and ease for every traveller to Cyprus," BLS International Joint Managing Director Shikhar Aggarwal said.

USCIS clarifies $100,000 H 1B visa fee: Who pays, who’s exempt, and how it works

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new guidance clarifying the controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee introduced under a recent presidential proclamation.

BLS International wins 3-year contract to run visa centres in China

This comes a few days after the company had received notice from the MEA on being debarred from participation in future tenders of the MEA and Indian missions abroad for a period of two years

Datanomics: US targets optional practical training amid H-1B visa issue

The share of Indian students pursuing OPT has nearly doubled from 22.12 per cent in 2006-07 to over 40 per cent in 2023-24

Google lays off woman on O-1 visa: What it is and how it differs from H-1B

US O-1 visa is a special non-immigrant visa provided to individuals exhibiting extraordinary ability. Eligibility requires meeting stringent criteria that establish national or international acclaim

China's K visa comes into effect today: Can it be an alternative to H-1B?

China, which already has R visa in place since 2013 for high-level talent, added the K visa to specifically targets foreign young talent working in the science and technology sector

China’s K-Visa explained: Big counter to US H-1B fee hike: What is it? | China visa | US visa

As the US tightens its H-1B visa program with a steep $100,000 fee, China is rolling out a new "K-Visa" aimed at attracting young global science and technology professionals.

Trump's $100K H-1B fee leaves techies, IT industry searching for solutions

The high cost of hiring someone on an H-1B visa, once the most sought-after working visa, means companies will have to be very selective about their onsite hires to get the best talent they need

Trump's new H-1B visa fee caught everyone off guard: JPMorgan chief Dimon

"That caught everyone off guard," Dimon said in a CNBC-TV18 interview. "And so we had a lot of phone calls over the weekend. What does it mean?"

Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee spurs offshoring talks, hiring turmoil at firms

About 141,000 new applications for H-1B were approved in 2024, according to Pew Research

Bengaluru techie gets US' O-1 'Einstein visa' after three rejections

Software engineer says his focus on skill, research and persistence helped him win coveted visa

UK plans visa fee waiver to attract global science and tech talent: Report

The UK government is looking at bolstering a drive to attract global talent with a possible visa fee waiver to support the world's top science and tech talent relocation to the country, a media report said on Monday. The Global Talent Taskforce, backed up by a 54-million-pound Global Talent Fund launched earlier this year, is revving up further to lure international experts, including Indians, even as the US announced a clampdown on its H-1B visas used by global techies, according to a Financial Times' report. The taskforce, which reports directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, works across 10 Downing Street and the UK Treasury to explore ways to boost the UK's economic growth. "We're kicking around the idea of cutting (visa) costs to zero, the newspaper quoted a government official as saying. "We're talking about the sort of people who have attended the world's top five universities or have won prestigious prizes, the official said. It comes as Presi

H-1B visa impact on Indian IT firms & stock market, GST 2.0 kicks in, SC on Air India crash

Nasscom, the IT industry body, said the new $100,000 H-1B fee will have a marginal impact on Indian IT firms, as their reliance on these visas has dropped significantly.

BJP govt failed to shield India from arbitrary tariffs, visa fees: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has attacked the BJP government commenting that an emergency has struck India's foreign policy under it and that it has failed to protect the country from arbitrary tariffs and visa fees. He also said the government has failed to protect Indians living abroad from violent attacks. In a post on microblogging site X on Saturday, Yadav said, "An emergency has struck foreign policy under the BJP rule: The BJP government is unable to protect India from arbitrary tariffs and arbitrary visa fees." He said the government is unable to keep up relations with neighbouring countries, adhere to the country's historical non-alignment policy, protect overseas Indians from handcuffs, chains, public humiliation and violent attacks, and bring any country along on the matter of terrorism. The post in Hindi added that the BJP government has put the foreign policy aside. Speaking to reporters at the party office in Lucknow, the Samajwadi Party chief slammed the

H-1B visa new rules: White House says $100,000 fee only for new applicants

The H1-B visa fee of USD 100,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, a White House official clarified on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the fee on the visas used by companies to hire workers, including from India, to live and work in the US. The H-1B fee is likely to face legal challenges. But if it survives, companies that hire skilled international workers would have to pay USD 100,000 each year for any employee working on the visa, for up to six years. The fee applies only to new applicants, a White House official said, according to a report in the New York Times. In a sudden move that will hugely impact skilled Indian professionals in the US, President Donald Trump ordered a steep hike in the annual H-1B non-immigrant visa fee to USD 100,000. As the Presidential proclamation that takes effect at 12.01 am EDT on September 21 sparked panic and outcry, immigration attorneys and companies asked the H-1B visa holders or their family

Nepal eases visa, exit rules for stranded foreign nationals amid unrest

Nepal authorities have announced temporary measures to facilitate foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the ongoing curfew in the Kathmandu Valley. According to Immigration officials, international travellers whose visas were valid through September 8 can now obtain exit permits and regularise their visas without paying additional fees, The Himalayan Times reported on Friday. The facility will be available both at immigration offices and at departure points. Authorities have also put in place arrangements for visa transfers in cases where visitors lost their passports during the disturbances. Travellers carrying emergency passports or other travel documents issued by their respective embassies will have their visas transferred to the new documents under existing rules, ensuring a smooth departure from Nepal, the officials said. A prohibitory order is in place in Kathmandu from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. A curfew order will come into effect from 7:00 pm Friday to 6:00 am Satur

US EB-5 visa route gaining traction among Indians, says immigration expert

The entry to America through the capital investment route is becoming popular, and Indians, particularly students and professionals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, can consider this option, an expert on US immigration law has said. Speaking here on the current state of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, Indian American immigration attorney Nadadur S Kumar said it is no longer a niche option. The EB-5 visa grants lawful permanent resident status (a green card) to foreigners with a minimum investment requirement of $8,00,000 (Rs 6-7 crore). The rise in property values and home equity has enabled more Indians to fund their investments, often with the support of parents. Many H-1B visa holders and students transitioning from F-1 to H-1B status in the US have also been able to leverage their financial progress to pursue EB-5," he said. The visa programme is becoming an increasingly popular pathway for Indians, particularly students and professionals

US considers ban on wholesale shopping, other visa curbs for Iranians

The Trump administration already has denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend a high-level UN meeting this month and is now considering ramping up restrictions on several other delegations that would severely limit their ability to travel outside New York City. Potential travel and other restrictions could soon be imposed on the delegations from Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and, perhaps surprisingly, Brazil, which has held a traditional place of honour during the high-level leaders gathering at the UN General Assembly that begins September 22, according to an internal State Department memo seen by The Associated Press. While the potential restrictions are still under consideration and the circumstances could change, the proposals would be another step in the Trump administration's crackdown on visas, including a wide-ranging review of those already holding legal permissions to come to the US and those seeking entry to head to the UN meeting. The