The U.S. Mission to India set a goal of processing one million nonimmigrant Indian visa applications in 2023. That goal has been exceeded. The total number of visas processed in India in 2023 is nearly 20% higher than the number processed prior to the Covid pandemic. Nonimmigrant visas allow for business or personal travel to the United States from India.
In 2022, over 1.2 million Indians traveled to the U.S., representing over 10% of all visa applicants worldwide. This includes 20% of all student visa applicants and 65% of H and L employment-based visas. The U.S. continues to invest in staffing, capital improvements, and opening a new Consulate in Hyderabad to address wait times. Further, additional investments have been made to increase efficiency, offer more categories for interview waivers, and allow for remote staffing to leverage available manpower in other countries to complete the processing of Indian visa applications.
In 2024, a pilot program is planned to allow domestic visa renewal. At some point, qualifying H and L employment-based visa holders will be eligible. It is uncertain which visas will be included in the initial pilot, however, H and L visas are noted as included in the ‘expanded’ list. Originally announced in February 2023, a recent joint statement between the U.S. and India dated July 2023 reaffirmed the pilot program. A specific date for the pilot program is not noted. Stateside visa renewals, discontinued in 2004, reduce the workload on consular offices around the globe, easing the ongoing backlog. The previous program was discontinued in 2004 in response to border security laws that require gathering biometric information.
If you have questions about a nonimmigrant visa, an employment-based visa, or any other immigration-related issue, contact us at ILBSG. We actively monitor ongoing announcements and updates to U.S. immigration policy to ensure our clients get the right advice for their specific situations.
