Tue. Dec 3rd, 2024

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US waiver on in-person interview ‘great move’, says Philadelphia based H-1B visa holder

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An H-1B visa holder from Philadelphia on Friday (local time) hailed US waiver on in-person interview requirement for some work-visa categories – H-1B, L-1, and O-1 and termed it as a “great move.”

Sharing his experiences with ANI, Prashant Pushkarna said, “I think it’s an extraordinary move by US State Department. I can share my personal experience. I got married last month. My wife and I are both here on H-1B visas and we needed to travel back to India for our marriage. However, we were unable to do that because my wife, would need to get a visa stamped. In order to re-enter the US and she was searching for an online appointment in India.”

“Yet, she didn’t observe any appointment and we needed to get married here. Now, I feel that we can travel back to India, meet every one of our family members without worry, I and her getting stuck in India,” he added.

Pushkarna was happy over the fact that after the waiver. Many individuals coming from small towns and villages of India won’t need to travel out to US Consulates offices located in enormous cities.

US waiver visa interviews for H1B, F, M, H3, L, O, P, Q, H2B through 2022

“This also implies that individuals in India, who are hailing from small towns and villages. Won’t have to travel to big cities where US Consulate Offices are located. They could just send in their documents and get their visas stamped,” said Philadelphia-based visa holder.

He also said that Consulate officials now can process more H-1B visas.

“That is an extraordinary choice and I also feel that the Consulate authorities in India would have additional time. They will be able to process more numbers of visas because they will not need to take in-person interviews. It’s a great move and we truly welcome that,” he added.

Amid growing concerns of the COVID-19 surge. The US on Thursday (local time) had temporarily dropped an in-person interview requirement for some work-visa categories – H-1B, L-1, and O-1.

[H-1B visa approvals surge to 97% in fiscal 2021]

Candidates for H-1B, L-1, and O-1 visas applying from abroad are not needed to do an in-person interview at a US consulate. Typically the final step before a visa is given. Those categories address the most common visa types organizations use to attract high-skilled talent from abroad.

The consular officials are now temporarily approved, through 31st December 2022, to waive in-person interviews. For specific individual petition-based non-immigrant work visas and their qualifying derivatives in the following categories. Such as Persons in Specialty Occupations (H-1B visas), Trainee or Special Education Visitors (H-3 visas), Intracompany Transferees (L visas). Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement (O visas), Athletes, Artists, and Entertainers (P visas), and Participants in International Cultural Exchange Programs (Q visas), added US State Department release.

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