The embassy said that the interview slots are now open for students having I-20 who need to apply for visa categories F, M and J at the Embassy and Consulates for interviews taking place after August 14.

The US Embassy in India on 26 June has announced an important update for students.

The embassy said that the interview slots are now open for students having I-20 who need to apply for visa categories F, M and J at the Embassy and Consulates for interviews taking place after August 14.

“If you need to arrive at school by mid-Aug, book an appointment now,” it said.

In a tweet, the embassy announced, “Student visa appointments are available on our website. If you have an I-20, don’t wait! Future F, M, and J appointment openings at the Embassy and Consulates will be for interviews taking place after Aug 14, so if you need to arrive at school by mid-Aug, book an appointment now!”

The US had opened the first tranche of interview slots, for dates in June and the first half of July 2022 in May.

Many students who were planning to attend US universities and who had already received their student I-20 documents from US universities were waiting for their interviews.

Earlier on 24 June, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) held discussions with foreign countries including Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the USA to streamline the visa appointments for Indian students.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi further said that the countries agreed to remain engaged in further easing and fast-tracking the process since the flow of students has been mutually beneficial.

“Senior MEA officials dealing with Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, UK & USA had constructive discussions with corresponding Heads of Missions/senior diplomats of these countries about streamlining student visas to Indian nationals,” Bagchi tweeted.

India raised the issue of students with foreign countries and asked them to expedite and bring clarity in the visa process, sources said.

Earlier in the month, US Charge d’Affaires Patricia Lacina had said that despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Mission to India issued more student visas in 2021 than ever before and is looking forward to a record-breaking season this year.

Lacina also said that the US is expecting another record-breaking year in terms of issuance of visas to Indian students this summer.

Last year, the US issued visas to record 62,000 Indian students. This year, the Embassy has opened 100,000 appointments for student visas, an official said.

“We have opened tens of thousands of visa appointments and expanded our interview waiver options for students under new visa guidelines,” Lacina said.

On the occasion of the Passport Seva Divas on Friday, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also said that the Central government is working to roll out e-Passports to make easier international travel and enable protection against identity theft and greater data security.

Due to COVID, last year, the US Embassy in Delhi and the consulates in India had opened student visa interviews on June 14.

The US embassy has announced that it will resume routine in-person tourist visa appointments from September. “The US Mission to India is pleased to announce that we are resuming routine in-person tourist visa appointments in September 2022. Previously scheduled placeholders have now been cancelled,” it tweeted.

The US embassy said that applicants whose placeholder appointments were cancelled may now reenter the scheduling system to book regular appointments.

Appointments have been opened through 2023, it added. The US embassy also shared a link where applicants can check its website for appointment slots.

Meanwhile, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS has announced that it is implementing premium processing for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications.

The EB-1, EB-2 are employment based employment-based, first-preference visa for a “noncitizen of extraordinary ability, are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager. Each occupational category has certain requirements that must be met,” USCIS said on its website.

This expansion of premium processing only applies to certain previously filed Form I-140 petitions under an E13 multinational executive and manager classification or E21 classification as a member of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability seeking a national interest waiver (NIW).

Petitioners who wish to request a premium processing upgrade must file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, it said.

Beginning June 1, 2022, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests for E13 multinational executive and manager petitions received on or before Jan. 1, 2021.

Beginning July 1, 2022, it will accept Form I-907 requests for E21 NIW petitions received on or before June 1, 2021, and E13 multinational executive and manager petitions received on or before March 1, 2021.

“As the expansion of premium processing is being implemented in a phased approach, we will continue working towards premium processing availability of additional Form I-140 petitions, Form I-539 and Form I-765 in fiscal year 2022,” it said.

The US agency also said that it will also adhere to the congressional requirement that the expansion of premium processing must not cause an increase in processing times for regular immigration benefit requests.

A leading expert has called for expansion of skilled immigration saying the operation of H-1B visa, a valuable component of the US immigration system since 1990, has not kept pace with its needs.

“In 2005, 85,000 visas were available. Today, nearly 20 years later, our country has grown, but only the same 85,000 visas are available,” Mia Love told a Senate panel citing research from the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University.

In recent years, Indian professionals have been getting over 70% of the H-1B visas meant for high skilled professionals, but they face decades long wait for green cards.

There are many promising options for expanding skilled immigration, Love, national outreach director at the Center, told the Senate judiciary subcommittee on immigration, citizenship, and border safety on June 14 during a hearing on strengthening ‘our workforce and economy through higher education and immigration.’

A former Republican House member from Utah, she contended the current US immigration system does not meet the needs of the American people.

“Today the US economy is missing five million workers. There are about 11 million open jobs in the country, but fewer than six million unemployed people,” Love said. “In other words, there are two open jobs for every unemployed person in the country.”

“We need people,” she said. “We need them in every industry at every level. We need more health care workers—doctors, nurses, and CNAs. We need manufacturing employees, pilots, and plumbers.”

“We need people to work in our restaurants, on our farms, in daycare centers. We need people to work building our homes our roads.

Solving the immigration problem is clearly in the interest of our economy. The US has much to gain from adding to and strengthening its workforce,” Love said.

“Right now, the US immigration system is straining and failing to meet the needs of US companies,” she said. “It’s defined by backlogs, delays, and migrants who turn to dangerous unauthorized crossings because they see it as their only option.”

“The challenge we face today is straightforward: Employers cannot find enough workers because they simply do not exist as US citizens within our borders,” Love said.

“We need to reform our immigration system so that it can stabilize our workforce to support American businesses across the country,” she said suggesting four ways to expand skilled immigration including creating pathways for employers to petition for workers with special skills.

Love suggested streamlining applications that currently take years for those who are already waiting in lines that continue to grow and evaluating whether current processes inhibit F-1 student visa applicants from transition- ing to H-1B or EB visas. She also wanted addressing the problem of the children of H-1B visa holders aging out of their derivative status.

Research. Love said, suggests that the expansion of high-skilled immigration will boost economic growth, expand American businesses, and provide more opportunities for the most disadvantaged Americans.

Farmers, retail, and other industries all need access to workers too, she said suggesting the “worker shortage is fueling the record-high inflation we’re experiencing.”

“The economy is more than rocket scientists, engineers, and artificial intelligence experts,” Love said. “Groceries, and everyday necessities arrive on store shelves and in packages on your doorstep because farmers, ranchers, and retail workers work hard to get them there.”

“Today’s worker shortage contributes to higher prices for food, health, and basic needs,” she said. “The damage of today’s worker shortage are evident across the economy.”

“Opening more avenues for immigrant workers will help tame inflation and encourage economic growth,” Love said. “Policymakers should also consider how to make guestworker programs accessible for migrants and the businesses that use them.”

That could include outreach and recruitment in foreign countries and easing the bureaucratic and complex application process for businesses, Love said.

“We should also ensure that migrants have access to pathways to come to the United States lawfully,” she said citing research that expanding legal pathways reduces illegal immigration.

“For Congress, today’s immigration challenges present an opportunity to support US businesses and grow the country’s wealth that should not be forgotten or squandered,” she said.

“We should stop treating people like liabilities that need to be managed and start treating them like assets that can be developed for the betterment of our country and communities,” Love said.

The US embassy said it will resume routine in-person tourist visa appointments from September.

“The US Mission to India is pleased to announce that we are resuming routine in-person tourist visa appointments in September 2022. Previously scheduled placeholders have now been cancelled,” it tweeted.

“Applicants whose placeholder appointments were cancelled may now reenter the scheduling system to book regular appointments. Appointments have been opened through 2023,” it added.

Earlier, the US had waived in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants, including students and workers, at its diplomatic missions in India for a certain period in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, a senior diplomat in Chennai told the PTI in April that the US embassy in India is likely to process about 8 lakh visas over the next 12 months.

Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the US embassy, Donald L Heflin said, “8,00,000 visas are projected to be issued in the next 12 months.. we opened a lot of slots for processing the visas.. we think of eventually meeting the demand of H and L visas.”

Asked about the total number of visas issued before the outbreak of Covid-19, he said 1.2 million visas were issued. He also expressed hope that the visa processing would reach pre-Covid-19 levels sometime in 2023 or 2024.