Amid growing concerns of surging COVID-19 cases, the US has announced that it will waive the in-person interview requirement for a range of visa applicants during the entire year in 2022, including for H-1B workers and students, many of whom are from India. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
It will also reduce such charges for other categories and adjust the consular exchange rate.
Blinken blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for a backlog of visa applications from Indian nationals.
The advisory was issued as thousands of Indians studying in Chinese medical colleges are currently stuck at home for over two years due to Beijing's COVID visa ban.
China on Monday said it is planning to allow a small number of foreign students with 'actual needs' who are stuck in their countries for about two years due to its COVID visa bans to return to the country.
Attend the annual Pre-Departure Briefings organised by the British Council.
Shiraz Syed Qazi was on Tuesday found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm in a 15-minute trial conducted by US District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal.
China on Friday announced plans to permit the return of 'some' Indian students stranded in India for over two years following the visa and flight restrictions imposed by Beijing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jerry Wang, 34, the CEO of Sunnyvale California-based Herguan University and the University of East-West Medicine has been charged in a San Jose District Court with a 15 count indictment on visa fraud including that he forged federal documents to allow foreign students to enter and stay in the US.
The incident comes close on the heels of a Bangladeshi student of Visva Bharati University being issued a similar directive by the FRRO after she posted photographs of an anti-CAA demonstration, held on the campus, on social media.
Home secretary Jacqui Smith said the new arrangements as part of Tier 4 of the points based system will make the visa process simpler, more objective and more transparent for applicants and prevent abuse of the immigration system. From Tuesday, all British education providers (schools, colleges, universities) who recruit international students need to be registered with the UK Border Agency.
His father Ramniwas Garg has expressed concern over the racial attack on his son and has demanded a strict punishment to the culprit.
Britain's move to abolish the visa that allows Indian and other non-EU students to take up employment in the UK for two years after the completion of their courses is likely to reduce the number of Indians coming here for MBA degrees, an industry body has said.
China said on Thursday that "progress" has been made in facilitating the return of thousands of Indian students stranded back home due to Beijing's COVID visa bans and efforts were on for "early return" of the first batch.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of Sikh activist Nijjar, CTV News quoted a senior government source as saying.
For Indian parents, sending a child abroad for a three-year degree could deplete 48% of their retirement savings, while a four-year degree may consume up to 64%.
Services provided by Indian information-technology (IT), marketing, and consulting companies to foreign clients may not always draw integrated goods and services tax (IGST) if a ruling by the Authority for Advance Rulings' (AAR's) Telangana Bench becomes a precedent. The AAR gave its ruling on a specific case of referral services provided by the Hyderabad-based Center for International Admission and Visas (CIAV) to foreign universities and colleges for admitting Indian students.
The city ranks number four after Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai globally.
A 23-year-old man was on Thursday charged with the murder of Indian student Tejaswini Kontham and the attempted murder of her friend at a residential address in Wembley, north London.
If a show about Gujaratis or Indians in the US had to be made, it could have been more authentic, sighs Deepa Gahlot.
Last week, education ministers of four Indian States -- Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir -- visited several US cities to have a first hand experience of the community colleges in Washington.
At a media briefing after talks with Blinken, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked the US for its 'truly exceptional' support to India during the second wave of the pandemic and for keeping the supply chain for raw material open for vaccine production in India.
'Trump's disregard for norms and institutions could prove very costly for America's social fabric.'
Muhammad Yunus urged the people to "exercise patience" before judging his government's role.
An American university, whose Indian students faced deportation in recent weeks, has blamed Air India and some of the deported students for the prevailing confusion on the issue.
From December 1, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders including students and skilled workers, can come to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption, a statement by the Australian government said.
Four students of Indian origin have been served probation sentence and community service.
The Calcutta high court on Thursday stayed the Centre's notice asking a Polish student to leave India for allegedly participating in a protest rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the city. Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya restrained the government from giving effect to the notice till March 18, when the court will pass an order on the student's petition.
The Taliban have been known for using violence to force the people to accept their agenda and views, he added.
Dr Arun Vakil, US visa expert, discusses the employment options for students in America.
The High Commission said it was striving to return to its normal functioning soon.
We do what the boss wants us to. And we do not mind putting body and soul on the line, notes Suveen Sinha.
The fake university was set up by the DHS's investigating unit in Greater Detroit area to bust the "pay-and-stay" racket.
rediffGURU Sushil Sukhwani underlines the factors you need to consider before you make the decision to study outside India.
The agents allegedly confiscated the passports of Indians arriving in Russia and forced them to fight with the armed forces, officials said.
Karnataka governor T N Chaturvedi has said that US universities attract Indian talent. \n
The Chinese foreign ministry has informed the Indian Embassy here "they are cognizant of the welfare of all foreign students, including Indian students".
The US president in the last several weeks has been very critical of China's inability to control the spread of the novel coronavirus within its territory. By Thursday more than 94,000 Americans have died due to the coronavirus and over 1.6 million have tested positive.
President Donald Trump's executive order restricting entry of skilled foreign workers into the US, mainly on H-1B and L1 visas, has resulted in an estimated loss of $100 billion to companies in the US, a top American think-tank claimed. The executive order signed by Trump on June 22, that had temporarily banned issuing fresh H-1B and L-1 visas till December 31, caused a negative impact to the valuation of Fortune 500 firms equivalent to over $100 billion in losses, Brookings Institute said in a report released this week.
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