The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DOS) has released the data on the visa issued to Indians under the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) category in last six months. The most popular NIVs amongst Indians are the B1/B2, H-1B, L-1, and J-1 visa.
The B1/B2 visa category allows foreign nationals to visit the United States on short trips for business or pleasure. Tourists are admitted under this visa for a period of six months, and for business, it depends on the duration of the business activities in the U.S. The number of B1/B2 visa issued to Indian nationals in the last six months (May to October 2017) is 2,93,274 visas.
The H-1B visa is the most popular amongst the Indian IT professionals. This visa allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. There is an annual numerical cap limit of 65,000 for H-1B status and additional 20,000 for foreign nationals holding U.S. advanced degree. The dependent spouse and children of H-1B non-immigrants hold H-4 status. The total of H-1B and H-4 visa issued from May to October 2017 is 47,127 and 51,387 visas respectively.
12,509 L-1 and 12,662 L-2 visas were issued during May through October 2017. L-1 visa status allows intracompany transfer of employees of foreign entities to U.S. parent, affiliate, and subsidiary companies. The dependent spouse and minor children of L-1 non-immigrants obtain L-2 status, and L-2 spouse may obtain employment authorization.
The J-1 visa allows a foreign national to enter the U.S. as an exchange visitor to receive training or internships or any other program sponsored by the DOS. This program is valid usually for up to 18 months for trainees and up to 12 months for interns. 3910 J-1 visas were issued from May to October 2017.
Sukanya Raman, Immigration Executive
Keywords: Non-immigrant Visa, Data, Indian, Immigration, USA
