Crisis facing visa holders.
Digital Desk, New Delhi. The US Embassy in India informed on Monday that from December 15, the US has expanded the online presence review for all H1B and H4 applicants under the standard visa verification process. This screening is being done worldwide for all countries and all applicants for both these visa categories.
This brief statement issued by the Embassy on the internet media comes at a time when the previously scheduled interviews of thousands of H-1B visa applicants in India, scheduled for the end of this month, have been suddenly postponed for several months. Let us tell you that according to a report this year by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, 71 percent of H-1B visa holders are from India.
What did the US Embassy say?
H1B visas are used by US technology companies to hire foreign professionals, which includes a large group of Indian professionals. Let us tell you that America has taken steps to stop the misuse of H1B visa program and illegal migration.
The US Embassy said this is an effort to prevent abuse of the H1B program while also allowing companies to hire the best temporary foreign workers. Applicants are advised to apply as soon as possible as the process may take longer than usual.
Visa holders returning to India are not able to go to America
Earlier this month, a large number of H-1B visa holders returned to India to renew their work permits. But due to this step of the US State Ministry, his appointment has been postponed till March next year. Due to this, now they are not able to go back to America, because they do not have a valid H-1B visa to go back to America for their job. That means they are stuck here. There is likely to be a significant delay in his return to America.
For example, those whose interviews were scheduled for December 15 received emails postponing the date to sometime in March. Even applicants whose appointments were scheduled for December 19 have been given new dates at the end of May. This has also created a job crisis for these professionals. Experts are worried about how long the companies for which these professionals are working will wait for their return.
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