Brace Yourself: Many More Visas Issued Much More Quickly Are on the Way

As the federal government prepares to simplify its visa process, an ill-advised concept President Obama embraces, immigrant sending nations and overseas immigration specialists are preparing to take advantage. (Read my column The Race is on; How Many Visas Can Be Approved Before November? here.)

Based on information I found on Migrant Expert, Inc, an Australian-based for-profit business, James W. Herman, minister at the U.S. Embassy in India announced that India hopes to generate a 14 percent year-to-year growth in visa processing, mostly H-1Bs. In 2011, nearly 700,000 U.S. visa applications were processed by the Indian consulate with a record 67,105 H-1B visas issued. India processes nearly 65 percent of the world’s H-1B visa applications.

According to Herman:

"By 2020, our target is to issue 2.1 million visas for Indian travelers."

Herman added that he projects strong growth in all visa categories for Indian nationals including the tourist and H-1B visas.

To improve and speed up the visa process, the U.S embassy in India has increased its staff by more than 60 percent in the last five years. Two new consulate offices have opened in the last five years, one in Hyderabad in 2009 and one in Mumbai last year. Herman said 97 percent of visas are processed within 24 hours and the wait time for visa appointments is currently 10 days or less.

Said Herman:

"Applicants wait less than one hour for services at the embassy and consulates. That means if you come at 10 a.m., the whole process will be over by 11 a.m."

Every word of this is bad news.

First, for those who come on H-1B visas, their presence in the United States means fewer jobs for Americans. For evidence, see the recent dust up involving the wife of an unemployed engineer who confronted President Obama with a question about why the United States imports foreign-born workers when Americans like her husband are long-term unemployed. (My blog about the incident is here.)

Second, those who enter on tourist visas are prime candidates to overstay and thus become illegal aliens. Visa overstaying is one of the leading causes of illegal immigration.

And third, as for the excitement about how little time it will take get a visa, memories must be short. The 9/11 terrorists also benefited from lax regulations that enabled them to enter the United States with ease and kill nearly 3,000 Americans.