US Issues Over One Million Nonimmigrant Visas To India

Study in US: Recent times have seen an increase in the number of Indians going to the US. For the second year in a row, this time, US has issued over one million nonimmigrant visas to India.

The United States, under the US Mission to India, has issued over one million nonimmigrant visas to India for the second year in a row. Underscoring the increasing demand for visas by Indians to travel to the US for business, tourism and education, the US has issued a record number of visitor visas.

Indian visitors to the US have increased by five times in the last four years. Also, over two million Indians travelled to the US in the first eleven months of 2024, a 26% increase as compared to last year. The statement of the US Embassy & Consulates In India said that more than five million Indians have nonimmigrant visas to visit the US and each day the US Mission to India issues thousands more visas.

"The Department of State completed a successful pilot program to renew of H-1B visas in the United States this year. This allowed many specialty occupation workers from India to renew their visas without leaving the United States. This pilot program streamlined the renewal process for thousands of applicants, and the Department of State is working to formally establish a U.S.-based renewal program in 2025," reads the official statement.

US Mission To India: More Details

Scores of immigrant visas were issued to Indians under the Mission which allowed migration of skilled professionals and legal family reunification. Many of these visa holders became permanent residents in the US expanding the Indian diaspora community.

The Mission also offered other consular services to American citizens travelling to India and offered over 24,000 passports. In 2024, a new version of the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) debuted.

"Increased processing of thousands of interview waiver-eligible nonimmigrant visa applications each week made it quicker and easier than ever for Indians to renew their nonimmigrant visas. By streamlining operations and utilizing global consular resources, the U.S. Mission has been able to redirect its own resources to focus on in-person interviews, reducing wait times for all applicants," added the statement.

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