'India Number 1 Priority': US Opens 1 Lakh H&L Work Visa Slots For Indians

Earlier in October, the US Embassy in India had released over 1,00,000 appointments for H&L visas for workers and their families on Friday. 

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New Delhi: A United States embassy official in Delhi on Thursday said that Washington will open visa slots in mid-November and will be able to take many cases by 2023 summer, reported news agency ANI. “India is the number one priority for Washington right now. We're opening visa slots in mid-November. By 2023 summer, we'll be able to take many cases. The United States has opened 100,000 slots for applicants of H & L worker visas to cut down the wait time,” the official said, quoted by the news agency. 

"We expect that India will surpass China in getting number of US visas by next year's summer. After Mexico, India is expected to rank number 2 in the issuance of US Visas," it added. 

Earlier in October, the US Embassy in India had released over 1,00,000 appointments for H&L visas for workers and their families on Friday. 

India is the number one priority for Washington right now. We're opening visa slots in mid-November. By 2023 summer, we'll be able to take many cases. US has opened 100,000 slots for applicants of H & L worker visas to cut down the wait time: Senior US Embassy official in Delhi

— ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2022

"In response to high demand for employment-based visas, the US Mission to India recently released over 100,000 appointments for H&L workers and their families. Thousands of applicants have already booked their appointments and the wait time for both interview waiver and first-time appointments has been cut in half throughout Mission India," the US Embassy in India tweeted.

Till September this year, the US Embassy had already over 1,60,000 H&L visas, the Commission had said.

The L-1 and H-1B are among the most popular non-immigrant work visas in the US. While L-1 is better suited for those working for multinational corporations, the H-1B visa finds more use for those intending to work for US businesses and want more job flexibility.