The US Embassy Approves Over 1,00,000 H1-B and L1 Visas

On Friday, the US Embassy announced the release of over 1,00,000 visa applications. The latest announcement is applicable for both H1-B and L1 visas. It is to provide relief to the H and L visa workers and their families who are longing for the COVID-19 pandemic.

An official tweet posted, “In response to high demand for employment-based visas, the US Mission to India recently released over 100,000 appointments for H&L workers and their families. Thousands of applicants have already booked their appointments and the wait time for both interview waivers and first-time appointments has been cut in half throughout Mission India. This bulk appointment opening reflects our ongoing commitment to H&L workers"

The Embassy posted back-to-back tweets which followed saying “in fact, in the first nine months of 2022, the U.S. Mission to India already processed over 1,60,000 H&L visas and we will continue to focus on H&L workers for visa appointments as resource allow”

Before this, the US Embassy opened the visa slots for all visa categories. The wait time goes up due to the high demand for visas. Also, there are fewer staff and pandemic-related disruptions are still ongoing. This is a continuous situation since March 2020.

The new visa update is a relief for H&L visa holders. However, the wait time for B1 and B2 visas remains unchanged - 884 days in Delhi, 7677 days in Kolkata, and 872 days in Mumbai. The work visa holders can expect to get an appointment by or later in January 2025.

External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar discussed the visa delays with the U.S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. As a result of this meeting, Blinken agreed to address the issue.

The U.S Embassy showed a commitment to focus on H&L visas. Also posted a tweet, “Thousands of applicants have already booked their appointments and the wait time for both interview waiver and first-time appointments has been cut in half throughout Mission India.  This bulk appointment opening reflects our ongoing commitment to H&L workers”

The US Embassy To Open 1,00,000 Student Visa Appointment Slots

The United States last month announced that the Embassy will open 1,00,000 student visa appointments. Interviews are to begin or start in mid-November and will continue till the end of December 2022. The consulates will open the visa appointment slots, a few in mid-October and the rest in November. The Embassy will focus on F, M, and J visas.

The officials already shared an update on H&L visas along with the student visa announcement. The Minister of Consular Affairs from the Embassy said that the government will open 1,00,000 slots for H and L worker visas.

He expressed sympathy for people on H and L visas. They were not able to return to their home country and meet their families since the COVID pandemic. The Embassy posted a tweet “visa appointments are open for all categories! But because of high demand, wait times remain significant”. According to the US State Department website, the wait time to secure a visa in the US has gone up to 800 days for Indians. It takes 400 days for non-immigrant visas like student or exchange visitor visas.

Read the full article: The United States To Open 1,00,000 Student Visa Appointment Slots and Interviews in November