Reports indicate that the US government is actively attempting to further cut the 75% decrease in wait times for Indian tourist visas that was observed last year. The US embassy in India handled 1.4 million visas last year, according to Rena Bitter, Assistant Secretary of the US Bureau of Consular Affairs. Wait times have been cut by 75% across the board, but officials are still addressing the issue of first-time visitors to the US, who still face a slight delay.
U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Rena Bitter stated that following a reduction of 75% last year, the country is aiming to further cut the wait time for Indian visitor visas. As Bitter pointed out in an interview with PTI, more Indians are able to travel to the US currently than at any point in history.
"Last year, the Embassy in India processed 1.4 million visas, explosion of an incredible number...in every category there is no wait time at all except in one area of travel where there is still some wait time and that is people travelling for the first time to the United States for tourism," according to her.
We are putting in a lot of time and effort, and it has been cut in half in the past year. We both acknowledge the significance of the connection and its cornerstones—the people-to-people links, business travel, and family ties—and work hard to maintain them. Adding, "We are doing a lot of work in Washington to support this post (Indian) so they can meet the exploding demand." This is because all these things are vital to us.
Bitter stated that the current pilot program that allows Indians residing in the US to renew their H1B visa without traveling overseas will end in February when asked about the intentions for the H1B visa.
Indian skilled workers have a unique place in American society because of the enormous value they add to the American economy. There was a record-breaking 34% increase in the issuance of H1B visas by the Indian embassy last year. Last year, at their meeting, US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke extensively about this matter, and we both take it seriously.
In January, we launched a test initiative to revalidate the credentials of twenty thousand Indian skilled workers currently employed in the US. By the month's end, the pilot experiment will have come to a close. She assured them that everything is proceeding according to plan and that they will reassess once the pilot program ends to determine the best way to facilitate Indian workers' access to the US labor market.
U.S. businesses can hire foreign nationals with advanced degrees in theoretical or technical fields using the non-immigrant H-1B visa. Tens of thousands of people from nations like China and India are hired annually by tech businesses because of it.
The White House first revealed the proposal during Prime Minister Modi's June state visit last year, but the trial program didn't begin until months later.
One out of four foreign students enrolled in American universities comes from India, Bitter remarked when discussing student visas. It is truly remarkable because not only are they receiving an excellent education, of which we are immensely proud, but they are also enhancing our classes with their fresh viewpoints and important ideas.
They also improve our students' intelligence.That is why we are so ecstatic about it. "We have all the necessary measures in place to meet the demand going forward, and this program is particularly important for us to ensure that Indian students have access to education in the United States," she added.
There was a record-breaking 2,68,923 Indian students in the United States for higher education in the 2022–23 academic year, a 35% increase from the previous year.
For the third year running, the United States consular service in India set a new record by issuing more than 1,40,000 student visas last year. This makes India the leading country in this regard.
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