Us Visas

Trend of rising US-Indo ties expected to continue under Trump: Mike Hankey

About ties with India, Hankey said the number of Indian students going to the US has gone up since 2008

US takes immigration issue 'very seriously': State Dept amid visa delays

Early discussions among Trump's team have focused on removing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes, a source familiar with the team's preliminary plans told CNN

Court cancels US govt's scheme guarding immigrant spouses from deportation

A federal judge on Thursday struck down a Biden administration policy that aimed to ease a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens. The program, lauded as one of the biggest presidential actions to help immigrant families in years, allowed undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to apply for a green card without first having to leave the country. The temporary relief from deportation brought a brief sense of security to some 500,000 immigrants estimated to benefit from the program before Texas-based U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker put it on hold in August, days after applicants filed their paperwork. Barker ruled Thursday that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority by implementing the program and had stretched the legal interpretation of relevant immigration law past its breaking point. The short-lived Biden administration initiative known as Keeping Families Together would have been unlikely to rem

US mission opens additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travellers

The US Mission to India has already surpassed one million nonimmigrant visa applications for the second consecutive year, according to the US embassy in New Delhi statement

H-1B visa scam explained: How a Congress leader played the US visa lottery

What is the H-1B visa lottery and what loophole did Congress leader Kandi Srinivasa Reddy exploit to 'scam' the system? Find out here

US visa rejected? What could have gone wrong and how to prevent denial

You must provide clear evidence of non-immigrant intent and complete applications thoroughly to avoid potential denials.

Extradition, migration and mobility: India, US hold bilateral dialogue

India and the US on Friday discussed ways of enhancing cooperation on a wide range of issues such as extradition, mobility of students and professionals, safe and legal migration and protection of vulnerable women and children, according to officials. The discussions took place during the 11th bilateral Consular Dialogue. The Indian delegation led by KJ Srinivasa, Joint Secretary (CPV) in the Ministry of External Affairs, hosted the US delegation led by Ambassador Rena Bitter, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular Affairs. "The Dialogue reinforced the strong people-to-people ties and cooperation that both countries share across consular issues of mutual interest. Both sides discussed ways of enhancing cooperation on a wide range of issues such as extradition, mobility of students and professionals, safe and legal migration, protection of vulnerable women and children and enabling smooth travel of their respective nationals," a statement by the US Embassy here said. "They welcomed

US hikes fees for various non-immigrant visas like H-1B, EB-5, and others

The US has announced a steep increase in fees for various categories of non-immigrant visas like the H-1B, L-1 and EB-5, the most popular among Indians. The fee hike, first after 2016, will come into force from April 1. 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 EB-5 programme, launched by the US government in 1990, enables high-net-worth foreign investors to obtain a US visa for themselves and their families by investing a minimum of USD 5,00,000 in a US business that helps create 10 jobs for American workers. To come into force from April 1, the new H-1B application visa fee, which is form I-129, has been increased from USD 460 to USD 780. The H-1B registration will increase from USD 10 to USD 215, but from next year. The fee for L-1 vis

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