H-1B visas can now be renewed in US: PM Modi at diaspora event

Wrapping up his four-day State Visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that India and the US have decided that H1B visa renewals of Indians will be done here without them having to return home for completing the process, in a huge relief to lakhs of software professionals and their families. 

Addressing a mega Diaspora event amid chants of “Modi, Modi, Modi”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, and “Vande Mataram” at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC , Modi also declared that 

Bengaluru and Ahmedabad will house new US consulates, while India will open a new consulate in Seattle in Washington state of the US. 

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He also announced that a Tamil Studies Chair will be established at the University of Houston with help from the Indian Government.  

In his 30-minute address in Hindi, Modi spoke highly of his visit to the US saying a new and glorious journey of mutual relations between India and America of convergence on global strategic issues has begun and its focus will be on “Make in India, Make for the World.” 

Observing that India’s potential is currently directing the development of the world, Modi said the “biggest reason” for the country’s progress is the self-confidence of the people, which they regained after “hundreds of years of slavery” had snatched it from them. 

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“That confidence has returned in the new India that is in front of us today. This is the India which knows its path and its direction. This is the India which does not have any confusion about its decisions and resolutions. This is the India which is converting its potential into performance,” he added. 

Dwelling on his visit, Modi spoke about the $2.5 billion investment pledge by US chip maker Micron in Gujarat for a semiconductor assembly and packaging unit, Google opening its Global Fintech Centre and Boeing investing $100 billion in the country, saying they will not just create jobs but also encourage high-technology manufacturing and innovation.

On H1B visas, Modi said the two governments have come to an agreement on renewal of the visas benefitting lakhs of Indian software professionals who work in the US. 

“It has now been decided that renewal of H1B visa will not require one to move out of America. A pilot project in this regard will be started soon. This will help thousands of IT sector employees here," the Prime Minister said. 

His remarks came a day after the India-US joint statement spoke about the US Department of State’s decision to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year. This will be of great relief to H1B visa holders and their families who are required to travel to India to renew their visas and get their passports stamped since 2004.

Reiterating that India is the “mother of democracy” and the US the “champion of modern democracy”, Modi said the world is finally witnessing the partnership of two great democracies getting stronger.

Despite the US being India’s biggest trading partner and export destination, Modi said, the true potential of the partnership is yet to be witnessed, adding that a new “glorious journey” of India-US relations have begun in the last three days. 

"Together, we are not just forming policies and agreements, but we are also shaping lives, dreams and destinies,” the Prime Minister said.