Indians to gain big from domestic US visa renewal pilot
The pilot will address around 20,000 work visa renewals, or almost a tenth of the estimated 583,420 H1-B visa holders. The programme, which was proposed in February and formally announced in September during prime minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, will commence in December.
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Visa holders currently wait an average of 130 days, or 6-8 weeks, to secure a visa appointment in their home country, and cannot travel internationally without renewing the visa every three years.
Shivendra Singh, vice president and head — global trade development at IT industry body Nasscom said the initiative aims to reduce visa delays, relieve some of the backlog issues, and, crucially, alleviate the critical skills gap, and contribute to the enhanced competitiveness of the US economy.
“Nasscom has consistently advocated for visa revalidation within the US, engaging with the US government at multiple levels. A recent development includes the announcement of a pilot programme, scheduled to start in January, as part of the Joint Statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden post the PM's last visit to the US,” said Singh.
The US faced massive visa processing backlogs, especially in countries like India and Mexico post pandemic. Being a huge source of talent for global MNCs, backlogs in India have been a cause of concern for the
