Washington DC: In order to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the United States, the Joe Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, as per reports from Reuters.
The developments come amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the US. Reuters reported that the US State Department is expected to unveil the new policy, allowing a small group of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas to renew their visas within the US, eliminating the need for international travel.
By far, a large percentage of H-1B visa holders and applicants hail from India. Indian citizens made up 73 percent of the nearly 4,42,000 H1-B workers in the fiscal year 2022. Another US official said that the mobility of the people is considered a “huge asset” to the US.
Each year, the US government makes 65,000 H1-B visas available to companies that intend to have skilled foreign workers and an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees, Reuters reported. The visa for the workers remains valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years. This decision will allow some of the temporary foreign workers to renew their visas in the US, freeing up resources for visa interviews at consulates in other nations.
Earlier in March, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the country has received the sufficient number of electronic registrations needed to reach the Congressionally mandated H1-B visa cap for the fiscal year 2024.
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