More than 100,000 appointments have been released by the US Embassy for H andn L work visa categories and their family members as well.
These appointments have been released as a part of the key assurances given by the US mission in India.
Read on to find out all the details!
100,000 Appointments for H and L Work Visa Released By US Embassy
The visa delay issue was raised by the Union minister for external affairs S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in September. This release of 100,000 appointments is one of the key assurances made in India by the US mission.
As per the US Embassy, “In response to the high demand for employment-based visas, the US Mission to India recently released over 100,000 appointments for H&L workers and their families.”
The embassy also stated that the wait time for both interview waiver and first-time appointments has been cut in half across Mission India due to the thousands of applicants who have already scheduled their appointments.
As per the embassy, the U.S. Mission in India processed over 160,000 H&L visas in the first nine months of 2022, and that the embassy will continue to give H&L workers priority for visa appointments as long as resources permit.
In-person Interviews To Be Waived
As per reports, through December 31, 2022, consular officers are authorised to temporarily waive in-person interviews for a select group of petition-based nonimmigrant work visas and their qualifying derivatives in the following categories: special visas are available for people in specialty occupations (H-1B visas), trainees or visitors for special education (H-3 visas), intracompany transferees (L visas), people with extraordinary ability or achievement (O visas), athletes, artists, and entertainers (P visas), and participants in international cultural exchange programmes (Q visas). This has been confirmed by a US State Department release.
According to the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken extended the period through December 31 this year during which consular officers could waive the in-person interview. Students (F and M visas), temporary agricultural and nonagricultural workers (H-2 visas), and student exchange visitors have all had it waived (Academic J visas).
Additionally, the release has stated that the ability for applicants renewing a visa in the same visa class within 48 months of the prior visa’s expiration to forego the in-person interview has been indefinitely extended.