An H-1B visa is a US non-immigrant work visa for "specialty occupations" — roles that normally require at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field, such as IT, engineering, healthcare, finance, and research. It is employer-sponsored, initially granted for up to three years and extendable to six. It is the most common route for Indian professionals to work long-term for US employers.

You need a US employer willing to sponsor you. The employer registers you in the annual H-1B lottery (usually held in March), and if selected, files Form I-129 with USCIS to prove the role is a specialty occupation and that you hold the required degree or equivalent experience. After approval, you complete visa stamping at a US consulate in India before starting work. A US master's degree improves lottery odds, and cap-exempt employers like universities hire outside the lottery.

The visa stamping (MRV) fee for an H-1B is $205, roughly ₹18,000. The larger costs are typically borne by the sponsoring employer: the I-129 petition fee, the ACWIA training fee ($750–$1,500), a $500 anti-fraud fee, and optional $2,805 premium processing. Fees are revised periodically, so confirm the current amounts on official USCIS and State Department pages before budgeting.

Two statuses matter. Track the petition itself using the receipt number on the USCIS "Case Status Online" page. After the petition is approved and you have applied for the visa, check your stamping progress on the CEAC portal using your DS-160 barcode. Once you are in the US, your I-94 record shows your authorized period of stay.

After USCIS approves your petition and you receive the I-797 notice, complete the DS-160, pay the MRV fee, and create a profile on the official US visa scheduling portal for India. You then book a VFS/offsite centre visit for fingerprints and the consular interview at Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, or Kolkata. Carry your I-797, DS-160 confirmation, LCA, offer letter, and passport. Some repeat applicants qualify for the interview waiver (dropbox) route.

The EB-5 is a US immigrant investor program that grants green cards to foreign nationals who invest $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (or $1,050,000 otherwise) in a new commercial enterprise that creates 10 full-time jobs for US workers. The investor, their spouse, and unmarried children under 21 receive conditional green cards that become permanent after two years. It is popular with Indian families seeking US permanent residency without employer sponsorship.

Choose a qualifying investment — usually a USCIS-designated regional centre project — document the lawful source of your funds, and file Form I-526E (or I-526 for direct investments) with USCIS. Once the petition is approved and a visa is available, complete consular processing at the US consulate in India (or file I-485 if you are already in the US), receive your conditional green card, and later file I-829 to remove the conditions.

The minimum investment is $800,000 — approximately ₹7 crore at prevailing exchange rates — if the project is in a Targeted Employment Area, or $1,050,000 (over ₹9 crore) otherwise. Budget separately for regional centre administrative fees, legal fees, and USCIS filing charges. Since the rupee-dollar rate keeps shifting, calculate the amount at the rate applicable on the day you remit your funds.

You must invest the statutory minimum ($800,000 in a targeted employment area or $1,050,000 elsewhere) in a new commercial enterprise, the business must create at least 10 full-time jobs for US workers, your funds must come from a documented lawful source, and the capital must remain genuinely "at risk" rather than guaranteed back. There is no education, language, or age requirement, which makes EB-5 accessible to investors of any background.

Timelines depend on the category. Petitions under the set-aside categories (rural and high-unemployment areas) have been decided considerably faster, while India's unreserved EB-5 category now has a backlog, so investors there may wait several years. After petition approval, consular processing adds a few more months. As a realistic range, plan on roughly 2–5 years overall, and track the monthly US Visa Bulletin for India's current dates.

Yes. The EB-5 program was reauthorized under the 2022 Reform and Integrity Act and remains fully operational, including the regional centre pathway. For Indian applicants, the set-aside categories — rural and high-unemployment areas — currently have visas available without a backlog, which is why many Indian families are choosing them instead of the oversubscribed unreserved category.

It is a combined US visitor visa: B1 covers short business visits such as meetings, conferences, and contract negotiations, while B2 covers tourism, visiting family and friends, and medical treatment. Indian citizens commonly receive a 10-year multiple-entry visa, but the length of each individual stay — usually up to six months — is decided by CBP at the port of entry. You cannot work or study on a B1/B2 visa.

Fill out Form DS-160 online, pay the MRV fee, and schedule your appointment on the official US visa scheduling portal for India. At the interview, carry your passport, DS-160 confirmation page, fee receipt, photograph, and documents showing your purpose of visit and strong ties to India, such as employment, business, family, or property. If you have held a US visa before, check whether you qualify for the interview-waiver (dropbox) renewal route.

The MRV application fee for a B1/B2 visa is $185, which works out to roughly ₹16,000–₹17,000 depending on the exchange rate applied at the time of payment. There are no other mandatory government fees for a standard business or tourist visit. US visa fees are revised from time to time, so verify the current amount in INR on the official scheduling portal before paying.

It varies by consulate and season. Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata each have separate queues, and first-time applicant wait times have ranged from a few weeks to several months in recent years, with longer waits around peak travel seasons. Check the live wait-time figures on the official US visa appointment website before finalising travel plans, and consider nearby consulates if your preferred location is heavily booked.