NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 10, 2007: Maura Harty, U.S. assistant secretary of state for consular and visa affairs, said the overall demand for U.S. visas by Indians was up by 61 percent this year–“one of the highest visa growth rates in the world. Harty is in India for a series of meetings with government officials on ways to improve visa facilitation services and bring down the incidences of fraud. She urged future visa applicants not seek the help of middlemen, as it would only increase the risk of fraud and rejection of their claims. She noted that the four U.S. consulates in the country had processed 725,000 visas this year–a 58 percent increase from 2006. “According to estimates this year, India will move into the ranks of the top 10 countries sending visitors to the U.S,” Harty noted.
Last year, the U.S. department of commerce reported 407,000 arrivals from India, which is an increase of 18 percent from 2005. On the other hand, about 100,000 Americans travelled to India in 2007. The majority of the visas processed this year were in the business and tourist categories, which witnessed an increase of 80 percent from 2006. However, with this rise in demand, U.S. officials are also concerned about a number of applicants who furnish “fraudulent documents,” often at the advice of middlemen. “We continue to warn applicants not to be fooled by advertisements by companies which claim to get visas,” she said, adding that, “there is no need for middlemen. On the issue of H1B visas, Harty said there were no changes yet to the annual cap of 65,000 for 2008.