US visa wait time still over 500 days for this category but you can get an interview in a day for others

The B1 visa is for people who need to travel to the US for business-related work and B2 (tourist) is for vacation, or visiting friends and family. B2 visa also covers certain medical treatments and participation in social events without receiving pay. In most cases, a B1/B2 visa is issued together, allowing the holder to travel for both business and pleasure.

It must be noted that a B1 visa is specifically for business-related activities and does not permit formal employment or long-term work in the US. However, in March 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that those with B1 or B2 visas can apply for jobs in the US and attend interviews.

On the other hand, for H-1B visa — a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise — ranges between two days and 51 days. The visa interview waiting period is anywhere between two and 95 days.

Last week, the Joe Biden administration proposed changes in the H-1B foreign workers programme to improve efficiency by streamlining eligibility, providing more flexibility to F-1 students, entrepreneurs and those working for non-profit bodies and ensuring better conditions for other non-immigrant workers. The rules have been proposed without changing the Congress-mandated 60,000 limit on the number of such visas the US issues every year.

Observing that the H-1B non-immigrant visa programme allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations, defined by statute as occupations that require highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific speciality or its equivalent, the DHS said the proposed rule would change how USCIS conducts the H-1B registration selection process to reduce the possibility of misuse and fraud.

Under the current process, the more registrations that are submitted on behalf of an individual, the higher the chances of that person being selected in a lottery. Under the new proposal, each individual who has a registration submitted on their behalf would be entered into the selection process once, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf, the DHS said in a statement.