The US government plans to ease immigration policies for skilled Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas to enable them to live and work in the United States.
The state department is expected to announce a pilot programme that allows a small number of H-1B visa holders to renew their visas without having to travel abroad.
The programme can also include workers with L-1 visas. This visa is for individuals who are transferred from another country to the US within a US-based company.
The specific details of the pilot programme have not been disclosed but it is anticipated that initially it will involve only a limited number of cases and gradually expand over the next few years.
Currently, the US government allocates 65,000 H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, along with 20,000 visas for those with advanced degrees. These visas are only valid for three years but can be renewed for an additional three years.
India is the most active user of the H-1B programme, with around 73 per cent of nearly 4,42,000 H-1B visa holders in fiscal year 2022. Companies like Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Amazon, Google, and Meta are among the major users of H-1B workers.
Visa processing was severely impacted worldwide during the pandemic, with most services being halted in March 2020. This decision was expected after concerns raised by India about the challenges faced in obtaining US visas.
It is important to note that the details of the pilot programme may still change as it is not yet finalised. However, the initiative signals a potentially positive change in US immigration policies.
