A large number of citizens from India in the United States who hold H-1B visas are subject to several challenges when planning to travel to other countries, including visiting their families in India.
The problem arises after they need a valid visa stamp on their passport before they travel back to the US, VisaGuide.World reports.
In addition, according to the Times of India report, there are long delays in getting dates at the US embassy as well as consulates, even though many of them are eligible for interview waivers.
The same source shows that a person who works for an IT firm in Texas, whose name has not been published, stressed that she hasn’t visited her parents in Bengaluru since the beginning of the pandemic while now she needs a visa stamp before she can go back to the US after her visit.
According to the immigration lawyer Poorvi Chothani, even for drop-box applications, in visa interview waiver cases, H-1B visa holders who travel to India need appointments in order to drop off the paperwork.
“Appointments are not readily available. Before traveling to India, they should, in fact, check for appointments frequently so that they can book one when dates do become available. More appointments are likely to become available in the ensuing weeks and especially in August-September 2022 and onwards,” Chothani pointed out.
She advised all H-1B visa holders who plan to travel to India and need a visa stamp not to travel unless they have a firm appointment in the near future after appointments that are issued for a date several weeks away are likely to be canceled.
Indian students are among the most significant beneficiaries of the US H-1B visa program. However, such a program attracts citizens from a large number of countries.
The H-1B visa program permits companies as well as employers in the United States to employ highly skilled workers from countries outside the United States who are engaged in specific fields such as lawyers, professors, IT specialists, doctors etc.
Recently, it has been reported that the denial rate for the H-1B visa application process marked a significant decline, nearly four per cent, marking a huge decrease compared to 13 per cent recorded during the fiscal year 2020.
Based on the figures provided previously by the National Foundation for American Policy (NDAO), the denial rate in 2018 was as high as 24 per cent, while the same was 21 per cent in the fiscal year 2019.