New Delhi, August 20

The US government has agreed to start issuing H-1B category visas for Indian professionals in September and by the end of the year, it may become possible to resume issuance of all categories of US visas, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said here on Friday.

The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign workers for specialty jobs with Indians among the major beneficiaries. This is contingent on a continuous drop in the virus level and increasing pace of vaccination in India. The UK could go the same way, he said at an All India Management Association’s (AIMA) programme.

Student visas are the highest priority for the MEA right now. The US and many western European countries are currently issuing visas to Indian students, and the MEA is trying to expedite those. The MEA is also talking to the Australian mission here to prevent delays in visa issuance to Indian students. — TNS