The United States is set to initiate a pilot program in December for the domestic renewal of certain categories of H-1B visas, a move that will particularly benefit a substantial number of Indian technology professionals. The H-1B visa is utilized by US companies to hire foreign workers with specialized skills in fields that demand theoretical or technical expertise.
This program, limited to an initial 20,000 participants, comes after the announcement of the plan by the White House during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June.Julie Stufft, deputy assistant secretary of state for visa services, stated in an interview that the demand for U.S. visas remains high in India, and the aim is to reduce wait times for visa appointments.
The domestic visa renewal program, initially focused on India, will issue 20,000 visas over a three-month period starting in December. The majority of these visas will go to Indian nationals residing in the U.S. The goal is to prevent individuals from needing to travel to their home countries for visa renewal, allowing U.S. missions in India to focus on new applicants.
Stufft emphasized that the program is exclusively for work visas, specifically aimed at individuals living long-term in the U.S. looking to renew their visas without returning overseas. Although the program begins with a pilot of 20,000 cases, the state department plans to expand it to more categories of workers throughout 2024.
The upcoming federal register notice will provide detailed information on the steps to be taken and eligibility criteria. The state department will handle the visa processing within the U.S., eliminating the need for applicants to travel abroad for renewal. This move has been well-received by the Indian community in the U.S., and community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria commended the State Department’s decision, emphasizing the positive impact on over one million H-1B visa holders, a significant portion of whom are Indian.
This program, limited to an initial 20,000 participants, comes after the announcement of the plan by the White House during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June.Julie Stufft, deputy assistant secretary of state for visa services, stated in an interview that the demand for U.S. visas remains high in India, and the aim is to reduce wait times for visa appointments.
The domestic visa renewal program, initially focused on India, will issue 20,000 visas over a three-month period starting in December. The majority of these visas will go to Indian nationals residing in the U.S. The goal is to prevent individuals from needing to travel to their home countries for visa renewal, allowing U.S. missions in India to focus on new applicants.
Stufft emphasized that the program is exclusively for work visas, specifically aimed at individuals living long-term in the U.S. looking to renew their visas without returning overseas. Although the program begins with a pilot of 20,000 cases, the state department plans to expand it to more categories of workers throughout 2024.
The upcoming federal register notice will provide detailed information on the steps to be taken and eligibility criteria. The state department will handle the visa processing within the U.S., eliminating the need for applicants to travel abroad for renewal. This move has been well-received by the Indian community in the U.S., and community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria commended the State Department’s decision, emphasizing the positive impact on over one million H-1B visa holders, a significant portion of whom are Indian.