Surprise Gift for Modi's State Visit to the US... US Simplifies Professional Visa Issuance

Surprise Gift for Prime Minister Modi on State Visit to the US
India Benefits Most from Simplified H-1B Visa Renewal

The U.S. government is set to announce measures to simplify the visa issuance process for foreign skilled workers. This move is analyzed as a 'surprise gift' timed to coincide with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the U.S., benefiting Indians the most.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 21st (local time), the U.S. Department of State plans to announce as early as the 22nd a measure to simplify the issuance process of the 'H-1B' visa, a professional employment visa for foreign workers.

Foreign workers entering the U.S. on an H-1B visa from overseas are granted a three-year stay period. They can extend it once, allowing a total stay of up to six years. However, to extend the H-1B visa, they must return to their home country to undergo the renewal process. In response, the U.S. government intends to pilot a program allowing some foreign workers to extend their visas within the U.S. instead of returning home.

The reason the U.S. plans to announce this policy in line with Prime Minister Modi's visit is that India is the biggest beneficiary. Indians account for 73% of foreign workers holding H-1B visas. Especially last year, many Indians lost their jobs due to mass layoffs in big tech and faced the risk of deportation, which caused significant concern in India. Foreign workers holding H-1B visas are forcibly deported to their home countries if they fail to find a new job within 60 days after losing their employment.

From the U.S. perspective, simplifying the professional employment visa issuance process is necessary to attract talent. In a situation where countries worldwide compete over advanced technology, there is a risk of losing excellent talent due to visa issues. If talents entering on H-1B visas find it difficult to secure their stay status in the U.S., the likelihood of outstanding foreign professionals choosing to work in the U.S. technology sector will gradually decrease.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State explained, "This pilot program will be implemented for a small number of people," adding, "We plan to expand the program within the next one to two years."

The Indian government, which has expressed concerns about its citizens facing difficulties with visa issues in the U.S., is also welcoming the U.S. move to simplify visa issuance.

Local U.S. media analyzed that the Biden administration is closely aligning with India, treating the Modi government with great respect to counter China.

One foreign media outlet reported, "The Biden administration has spent months persuading a Congress that is not strongly committed to immigration reform to improve visa issues," adding, "President Biden wants close ties between the U.S. and India, the world's largest democracy, to gain an advantage in competition with China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.