No change in H-1B visa processing: Trump admin ahead of US-India dialogue

There has been no change in the processing of H-1B visas, the Trump Administration has said ahead of next week's two-plus-two dialogue between India and the US, during which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to raise the issue. "We are already raising the issue formally at various fora. We are speaking on it with the White House, with state administration as well as with Congressmen... We will raise it humbly at the 2+2 dialogue on September 6 in New Delhi," Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha last month. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior official of the administration acknowledged that it was prepared for India raising the H-1B issue at the 2+2, but added that it would not have much to say as the policy remained the same and was undergoing review.

Blow to Indian IT professionals as US extends suspension of H-1B visas

The US has extended the temporary suspension of premium processing for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, as part of its efforts to clear the backlog.

Premium processing is a feature that shortens the usual processing time of H-1B visa petitions from an average of six months to 15 calendar days for a fee of  $1,225 (Rs 86,181). It allowed some companies to jump the queue.a

The suspension, announced yesterday by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), are expected to last until February 19 next year.

The USCIS said it is extending the temporary suspension of premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions and, beginning September 11, will be expanding this temporary suspension to include certain additional H-1B petitions.

Under the premium processing, the USCIS has to respond within 15 days to the H-1B visa petitions submitted to it.