US Visas: Appointment unavailability for short-term B1/B2 US visas affects tech companies and Indian clients

Unavailability of appointments for the short-term B1/B2 US visas is impacting tech companies, hampering their ability to meet with clients and seek new business in their biggest market.

While B1/B2 visa holders cannot work in the US, these permits are used for personal or business travel for client meetings and attending events and conferences which are an important way of signing on new business, especially for small and medium enterprises. As on Monday, the earliest appointment for a short-term visa was available after more than 700 days (about two years) in Mumbai and Delhi.

Industry body Nasscom said it had taken up this issue with the Indian government and the US Embassy in India, and had been told that things should ease up soon. “We were told that things should improve after September-October so we are optimistic that things will get resolved soon,” said Shivendra Singh, vice president and head of global trade at Nasscom. “This is something that has impacted both large and small companies. People do need to travel for assessment meetings to understand what the client’s digital transformation needs are,” he said.

After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19-related restrictions, in-person gatherings have only recently started up again. Attending industry events is a significant factor for many small and medium-sized businesses to connect with potential clients and signing on new business.

When questioned about the efforts being taken to resolve this issue on Monday, a representative for the US embassy in India has not yet provided a response. Given the sensitivity around visa-related issues, the majority of IT companies declined to comment on the record.

A mid-sized IT company reported that visa delays were having a substantial impact on both personal and professional travel, which was producing operational problems. The majority have returned to using virtual communications to do business as they did throughout the pandemic, however some clients have shown a desire for in-person meetings now that the world has once again been accessible.

According to Nasscom's Singh, the organisation has organised more events in Canada recently than in the United States, and accessibility was a major factor in this. "A lot of the impetus shifts, not because there isn't interest, but rather due to practical difficulties. According to him, the US continues to be the top market for Indian businesses.