India Secures '80th' Rank On Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport Index is an annual ranking that measures the power of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without the need for a visa. Singapore has now claimed the top spot, surpassing Japan, with its passport granting visa-free access to 192 global destinations.

India, on the other hand, has shown a significant improvement in its ranking. The Indian passport has moved up five places and is now ranked 80th on the index, allowing visa-free access to 57 destinations. Additionally, Indian passport holders can avail visas on arrival in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Rwanda.

However, the Indian passport still faces visa requirements for 177 destinations worldwide, including countries like China, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the entire European Union. This high visa requirement contributes to India's relatively lower mobility score on the index.

Japan, which held the top position for five years, dropped to third place due to a decrease in the number of destinations its passport can access without a visa. The United States, which was once the top-ranked passport nearly a decade ago, slid two places to eighth. Meanwhile, the UK saw an improvement, jumping two places to fourth, a position it last held in 2017, as per a report in The Hindu.

Singapore's passport's popularity is due to its visa-free access to numerous countries, making it an attractive destination for individuals seeking to travel or establish business connections. However, obtaining Singaporean citizenship is a challenging process, as the country grants citizenship to a limited number of people annually and does not consider net worth as a criterion for citizenship eligibility.

PM Modi's Announcement On H-1B Visa

The announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC brings significant relief to Indian professionals working in the United States on H-1B visas. According to the announcement, Indian professionals can now renew their H-1B work visas without the need to travel abroad.

The decision to allow 'in-country' renewable H-1B visas is part of a people-to-people initiative and comes after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden. This move aims to smoothen the process of H-1B visa renewal for Indians working in the US on such visas.

Furthermore, it was revealed that the United States will open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, which is expected to further enhance diplomatic and people-to-people ties between the two countries. Additionally, India is planning to open a new consulate in Seattle this year, and two more Indian consulates will be opened in other cities in America.

The announcement highlights the importance of the strong partnership between India and the US and the significance of shaping lives, dreams, and destinies through policy agreements and collaborations.

The move comes in the wake of the US Department of State's announcement that it would launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, reflecting the shared efforts to facilitate and streamline visa processes for professionals in both countries.

"The leaders welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Department of State that it would launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals, with the intent to implement this for an expanded pool of H1B and L visa holders in 2024 and eventually broadening the program to include other eligible categories," the India-US joint statement said as per a report in The Economic Times.

The leaders affirmed that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business travellers between the countries contributes immensely to enhancing bilateral economic and technological partnership.

The joint statement issued by the leaders of India and the United States reflects a positive outlook on enhancing bilateral economic and technological partnership between the two countries. The U.S. Department of State's announcement to launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals, is seen as a significant step to facilitate the movement of professional and skilled workers between the nations.

Overall, the historic state visit of Prime Minister Modi to the US is seen as the beginning of a new and promising journey of mutual relations and cooperation between India and America. The leaders' commitment to fostering strong ties and promoting the movement of talent and business between the two nations bodes well for their economic and technological collaboration.

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