New Delhi: The United States is prepared to initiate a pilot program for the domestic renewal of certain categories of H-1B visas, a move that will greatly benefit a substantial number of technology professionals from India, a US official informed recently.
Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services, shared details of the initiative with media outlets, stating that the program aims to address the high demand for U.S. visas in India and reduce lengthy wait times for appointments.
The plan, initially announced during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June, will officially kick off in December.
Over a three-month period, the U.S. State Department plans to issue 20,000 visas to foreign nationals already residing in the country. The first group will predominantly consist of Indian nationals, reflecting the significant presence of skilled Indian workers in the United States.
“Because Indians are the largest skilled group of workers in the United States, we hope that India will benefit quite a bit from this programme…” Stufft emphasised.
The program’s primary objective is to make the visa renewal process for individuals already in the U.S. more efficient, preventing the need for travel back to India or other locations for visa appointments. This will allow U.S. missions in India to focus on processing applications from new applicants.
While the State Department had been working on the program for some time, its formal announcement during Modi’s visit met with positive reactions from the Indian community in the U.S.
Stufft clarified that the federal register notice outlining the eligibility criteria and application process would be released soon.
Stufft highlighted that the domestic visa renewal program is exclusively for work visas and is based on an existing regulation that has not been utilised for about two decades. The program will start as a pilot, processing 20,000 cases from December through February, with plans to expand to more categories of workers in the rest of 2024.
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