US panel for stamping H-1B visas in country

New Delhi, September 30

A presidential commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders has proposed the provision of stamping of H-1B visas inside the US. Currently, the stamping has to be done at a US Consulate or Embassy abroad before the H-1B status can be activated.

“There are situations where a lot of people — whose parents have been in ICU or in critical condition or due to the death of a parent — could not travel back to the home country fearing that there is often delay in visa appointments in the home countries,” said Indian-American Ajay Jain Bhutoria who is a member of the commission all of whose members are close to the Democratic Party.

According to the US Government website, appointment wait-time for visitor visa applications from Delhi is 833 days and 848 days for Mumbai. It is two days for Beijing and 450 days for Islamabad. The appointment wait-time in Mexico City is 637 days and 304 days in Brasilia.

“It was done previously but was stopped. This recommendation basically is saying that US Citizenship and Immigration Commission (USCIS) should update its policy, as it was done previously many years back,” he said. For “All Other Non-immigrant Visas” it is 390 days in Delhi, 38 in Mexico City and two in Brasilia.

Technology companies depend on the H-1B visa to hire tens of thousands of employees, largely from India and China. Chief Commissioner Sonal Shah, an Indian American, said this is an issue of family separation and dignity of H-1B visa holders.

Long waiting period

• Presently, one needs to apply for a visa stamp at a US Consulate or Embassy abroad before H-1B status is activated
• Professionals either new or waiting for renewal of H-1B visas facing uncertainty due to long visa application appointments
• In India, the current wait period is more than a year