The United States is set to issue more than a million visas to Indians this year, according to US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu. Lu said that the Biden administration is prioritizing work visas such as H-1B’s and L visas, which are highly sought-after by Indian IT professionals. These visas allow US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on them to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Lu also assured that the Biden administration is committed to processing all student visas for Indians whose school starts this fall. India is now the second-largest source of international students coming to the United States. However, there have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants, particularly those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories.

Lu noted that the Department of Homeland Security recently released new information specifically for Indian IT professionals who are on H-1B visas and have lost their jobs. He added that the US plans to restart domestic visa renewal for certain petition-based nonimmigrant work visa categories for applicants who meet certain requirements, including being physically present in the United States. This would eliminate the need for these applicants to travel abroad to renew their visas.

Lu said that the India-US relationship enjoys bipartisan support in the US, adding that a strong diaspora community in the US has played a significant role in driving the relationship forward. He said that for over 30 years, the relationship has been driven in part by Indian Americans who have lived in the US for decades but still maintain strong ties with India. Over a million people travel back and forth between the two countries, and the ties between people who moved to the US from India or whose parents come from India remain strong.

The Biden administration’s commitment to issuing more than a million visas to Indians this year and processing all student visas for Indians whose school starts this fall is a positive development for Indian students and IT professionals. The US administration’s plan to restart domestic visa renewal for certain petition-based nonimmigrant work visa categories is also good news for Indian workers. The strong diaspora community in the US plays an important role in driving the India-US relationship forward, which enjoys bipartisan support in the US.

———

#USVisas #IndianStudents #H1BVisas #LVisas #ITProfessionals #ImmigrantVisas #B1Visas #B2Visas #ConsularSections #VisaRenewal #DiasporaCommunity #IndiaUSRelationship #BipartisanSupport #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity #InternationalStudents #RecordNumber #StudentVisas #WorkVisas #Immigration #TravelBetweenIndiaAndUS