There is a good news for professionals from other countries working in America. They will now be able to renew their H-1B visa without leaving America. This will benefit millions of Indian professionals, who are working in various fields. A year ago the US State Department started a pilot project to test this process, involving about 20,000 eligible participants.
Earlier applicants had to spend heavily
This pilot project was successful and now applicants will not need to return to their home country for renewal of H-1B visa. This is a solution to a long-standing concern of professionals, the majority of whom are Indians. Earlier in this process the applicants had to spend heavily for their travel. Also, one had to wait a long time for visa appointment, which caused wastage of time and delays.
What did the US State Department say?
The US State Department said that during the pilot project, many professionals from India got the opportunity to renew their visas without leaving the US. This pilot program simplified the renewal process for thousands of applicants. The State Department is now working toward establishing a formal US-based renewal program in 2025. However, the start of this new process has been confirmed this year. But its official date has not been announced yet.
Elon Musk is also in favor of this program
This change has happened at a time when there is a debate going on about H-1B visa and its impact on American citizens. Far-right groups have urged President Donald Trump to end the program, arguing that H-1B visa holders take away American jobs and “pose a threat to Western civilization.” His supporters, such as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, argue that the United States needs the world’s best talent and that H-1B visas will help the United States expand access to technology, research, and healthcare globally. In Gets a competitive edge.
India, which tops the list of H-1B visa holders, is filled with professionals mostly working in the tech industry. According to US State Department data in 2022, out of the total 3,20,000 H-1B visa applications, 77 percent were received by Indians. In 2023, more than 72 percent of the 3,86,000 visa applications were issued to Indian citizens.
With 3,31,000 student visas in 2024, Indians now constitute the largest number of international students pursuing higher education in the United States. The US State Department also reported that the number of visitors from India has increased fivefold over the past four years. In the first eleven months of 2024, more than two million Indians visited the United States, an increase from the same number in the same period in 2023. Which is 26 percent more than.