L – 1 V I S A A P P R O V A L S D E C L I N E S I G N I F I C A N T L Y A T U . S . P O S T S I N I N D I A I N 2 0 1 1

The number of L-1 visas issued at U.S. posts in India declined by 28 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to data obtained from the U.S. Department of State by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). The official data from the State Department show that L-1 visa approvals went from 35,896 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 to 
25,898 in FY 2011, a drop of approximately 10,000 visas. At the same time that L-1 visas issued in India declined by 28 percent, L-1 visas issued in the rest of the world rose by 15 percent, according to State Department data.
This shows an enormous gap in visas issued as well as, it must be assumed, approval/denial rates between posts in India and the rest of the world, raising policy  questions as to whether this great disparity is the result of a 
conscious policy at U.S. posts in India. This confirms what many observers have believed: an increase in denials over the past 12 to 18 months is making it far more difficult for employers to transfer employees based in India 
into the United States on L-1 visas. Employers say  this is having a negative impact on growth, projects, and product development in the United States.

L1_Visa_Approvals_In_India_Decline_in_2011_NFAP_Policy_Brief_Nov2011