H-1B visas to Indians up 24 percent
In a sign of its burgeoning relationship with New Delhi, the US government Tuesday said it had increased H-1B visas issued to Indians by 24 percent between 2010 and 2011.
The H-1B visas, which allow skilled professionals to work on a temporary basis in the US, has gone up from 54,111 issued in 2010 to 67,195 in 2011.
India has been consistently pressing the US for a prompt resolution of the problems being faced by the IT industry over H-1B visas. The issue was highlighted by India at different fora, including the India-US CEOs forum and in meetings with top US officials.
“This 24 percent increase is tied to the highest ever H-1B application and issuance rates in the history of the US mission to India, and illustrates the booming nature of US-India business relations,” the US embassy said in a statement here.
India is the single largest beneficiary of H-1B visas by a wide margin.
In the past four years, applicants in India have received more than twice as many H-1B visas as the four next-highest countries combined, the US mission said.
