According to a senior official, the US is on schedule to grant more than a million visas to Indians this year, promising that the Biden administration is committed this summer to processing all student visas for Indians starting school this autumn.
In an interview this week, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said that they are also emphasising work visas, including H-1B and L visas, which are the most sought-after by Indian IT specialists.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits US businesses to hire foreign employees in specialised vocations that require theoretical or technical knowledge.
Every year, technology businesses rely on it to recruit tens of thousands of workers from nations such as India and China.
"We are on track to issue more than a million visas this year. This is a record for us along with a record number of student visas and immigrant visas," Mr Lu said.
Mr Lu said that the US is committed this summer to processing all student visas for Indian students starting school this autumn.
Concerns have grown in India over the lengthy wait times for first-time visa applicants, particularly those seeking under the B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories.
In terms of foreign students going to the United States, India is presently ranked second in the world.
"We've also been prioritising work visas: H-1B's and L visas. Wait times at some of our consular sections in India, for these visas are now below 60 days. We will continue to make sure that we prioritise visas for workers, as this is vital for both the American and the Indian economy," Mr Lu said.
"For certain petition-based non-immigrant work of visa categories, we plan to restart domestic visa renewal for applicants who meet certain requirements, including being physically present in the United States. We plan to have a pilot up and running later this year. This would eliminate the need for these applicants to travel abroad to renew their visas," he said.
Lu responded to a question regarding Indian IT professionals holding H-1B visas who had lost their jobs by stating that the Department of Homeland Security had recently published updated guidelines on what these persons should do if they desire to alter their status. The guidance was in response to the question concerning Indian IT professionals holding H-1B visas who had lost their employment
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