For years, the H1B Visa has been a safe passage into the United States for Indian professionals. Since 2025, this passage to the land of American Dreams has been beset with difficulties and challenges, like the $100,000 fee for new petitions and long interview appointment wait times. Given the current scenario, the H1B Visa seems to have an uncertain future. A significant number of Indians on H1B visa are stuck in India amid uncertainties over renewal interview appointments.

Amid the current difficulties and challenges to H1B Visa, alternative options are gaining popularity. Some are temporary, while some are better. J-1 Visa is one of the other legal and practical ways to travel to America.

What is a J-1 Visa among H1B Visa alternatives?

The J-1 visa, officially known as Exchange Visitor Visa, was created by the United States in 1961 under the Fulbright-Hays Act. Its core purpose is to promote knowledge exchange, skill development, research collaboration, and cultural understanding between the United States and other countries.

Unlike the H-1B visa, the J-1 visa is not designed as a direct employment visa. Instead, it allows foreign nationals to come to the USA through structured exchange programs that focus on training, research, teaching, or professional development. These programs are carefully defined and monitored to ensure that the primary goal remains learning and skill exchange, not permanent employment.

The J-1 visa operates through approved organizations called sponsors. These sponsors are authorized by the US Department of State to run exchange programs and invite participants from abroad. An individual cannot apply for a J-1 visa independently. A designated sponsor must first accept the applicant and issue the required documentation.

J-1 Visa vs H-1B: Is J-1 an alternative to H1B

With H-1B interview wait times extending into 2027 in India and uncertainty growing around appointment availability, many Indians are actively searching for H-1B visa alternatives. The J-1 visa has emerged as one such alternative, especially for early-career professionals, researchers, and STEM talent. While it does not replace the H-1B visa, it offers a legal and structured way to enter the USA for work-related training and/or research without facing a lottery or annual cap. For Indians who want US exposure, skill development, and professional growth while the H-1B process remains stalled, the J-1 visa can be a practical passage.

The J-1 visa is being discussed as an alternative because:

• There is no lottery
• It has no annual cap
• Applications are accepted round the year
• Processing timelines are generally shorter

Who can apply for a J-1 Visa?

The J-1 visa is available only for specific categories. Each category has clear rules, duration limits, and eligibility norms. Common J-1 categories relevant to Indian applicants include students, recent graduates, early-career professionals, researchers, teachers, and specialists whose roles involve skill development or knowledge exchange.

J-1 Visa eligibility norms for Indian nationals

Indian nationals may be eligible for a J-1 visa if they have:

• relevant educational qualifications
• professional or academic background aligned with the program
• acceptance from a designated sponsor
• intent to participate in an exchange activity rather than permanent employment

English proficiency is required, and applicants must demonstrate they can support themselves during the program.

What is J1 Early Career STEM Research Initiative (ECSRI)?

The J-1 Early Career STEM Research Initiative, launched in July 2021, is a policy initiative under the US Department of State’s BridgeUSA program. Its goal is to attract early-career STEM talent into the USA for research and innovation.

ECSRI does not create a new visa category. It operates within the existing J-1 Research Scholar framework, making it easier for early-career STEM professionals to participate in research-based programs. This initiative has become relevant especially for Indians with backgrounds in engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and applied sciences.

How the J-1 application process works

The J-1 visa process is sponsor-driven. Applicants must first secure acceptance into a program run by an authorized sponsor. Once approved, the sponsor issues Form DS-2019, which allows the applicant to apply for a J-1 visa at a US consulate. There are around 1,500 authorized sponsors, including universities, research institutions, nonprofits, and approved private organizations.

J-1 Visa Duration, Validity, and Dependent Rules

The length of stay on a J-1 visa depends on a specific program category. Research Scholars may stay in the United States for up to five years, while interns and trainees are typically allowed shorter durations. Extensions are possible within category limits, subject to sponsor approval.

Immediate family members, including a spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21, may accompany a J-1 visa holder to the US, under the J-2 dependent visa category. J-2 dependents can live in the US for the same duration as permitted to principal J-1 visa holders. In many cases, J-2 spouses can apply for work authorization after arriving in the United States, provided the income is not used to financially support the J-1 visa holder. Children on J-2 status may attend school but are not allowed to work.

What is the home country physical presence rule for J1 Visa holders?

One of the biggest concerns for J1 Visa holders is the two-year home country physical presence requirement under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 212(e). This rule requires J1 visa holders to return to their home country for two years before switching to another US visa (employment or non-employment) or applying for lawful permanent residency.

Can you switch from J-1 to H-1B or Green Card?

In many cases, Indian J-1 holders can transition to other visa categories if they are not subject to the two-year rule. Some move to H-1B, others to O-1 (Einstein Visa), and some pursue employment-based Green Cards. The J-1 Visa should be seen as a stepping stone, not a permanent solution.

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Currently, the US visitor visa interview appointments are 2 to 8 months away from today, depending on the US Embassy and Consulates in India. The wait time was equally unprecedented in 2022 and 2023 following the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-2023, the longest wait time for B1/B2 visa interview appointments in India was 400 days. It stretched into the year 2024 for those who wanted to travel to the US in mid-2023. Precisely, the US tourist visa backlog was and is there.

The uncertainty, driven by the long visa delay, of reuniting with their parents and other family members continues to cause emotional distress to many Indian immigrants and non-immigrants in the US. Indian parents are missing out on important events in the US, such as childbirth, marriage anniversary celebration, housewarming, and graduation ceremony. However, Indian American Sunil Dhar, who lives in San Francisco,  found a way for his son’s would-be in-laws and other family members from New Delhi to bypass the US visitor visa in 2023.

His younger son was about to get married in June in the United States, but the bride’s parents and other family members were facing the long B2 visa interview wait time in New Delhi. Reportedly, Sunil Dhar tried hard to ensure that his would-be daughter-in-law’s parents could attend the wedding in the US as wedding is a significant event in Indian culture and a Hindu wedding is incomplete without certain rituals that a bride’s parents perform. In 2022, some of Sunil Dhar’s extended family members from India could not attend his elder son’s wedding in San Francisco due to various visa-related issues.

To avoid the visa-related issue this time, Sunil Dhar made certain arrangements so that his guests from India could enter the US without a visa and bless the couple. He shifted the wedding venue from the Bay Area further up the West Coast. The wedding took place in Blaine near Seattle, Washington State. The Peace Arch Park on the US-Canada border, the northern boundary of Blaine City, was selected as the wedding venue. Interestingly, the Peace Arch Park is a visa neutral zone without immigration checkpoints.

The bride’s family from India had the Canadian visa. They could enter the park via British Columbia without having a US visa and facing any immigration check. Hence, the bride’s parents and other guests traveled to Canada from Delhi, instead of booking Delhi to San Francisco flight tickets. The northern half of the park is in Canada and the southern half stretches into the US. They entered the park from the northern half and attended the wedding in the southern half.

“Other than the above, there was another way to bypass the US visa interview delays across India in those days. Indian nationals seeking B1/B2 visas could apply at the US Mission/consulates in international destinations, such as Kuwait City, Japan, and Seoul where the US tourist visa wait time was relatively very shorter (7 to 10 days). However, starting September 2025, non-immigrant visa applicants, including B1/B2, can schedule visa interview appointments only in their country of citizenship or legal residence,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor of Travel Beats.

Travel Beats, a leading community and travel news portal for Indian Diaspora in the US, is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle LLC. IndianEagle.com, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians and Americans, is currently offering an additional $25 discount on flight tickets from USA to India and beyond. IEREPUBLICTB is the discount code valid through 31 January (CST hours).  

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India and her diaspora do still have a reason to rejoice, though Homebound, the official entry to the Oscars 2026, is out of the race in the Best International Feature Film category. Lagaan, a Bollywood blockbuster in 2002, was the last Indian film to make it to the Oscars nominations. However, amid the Hollywood titles – Sinners and One Battle After Another – running high with multiple nominations for the 98th Academy Awards, Indian American Geeta Gandbhir has grabbed some spotlight.  

Who is documentary filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir in USA?

Geeta Gandbhir is an Indian American filmmaker, director, producer, and editor known for her compelling work in documentary cinema. She has built a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades, focusing on socially important subjects such as racial justice, violence, systemic inequities, and civil rights. She has won multiple awards and recognitions, including Emmys and Peabody Awards.

She was born in 1970 in Boston to Indian immigrant parents who moved to the United States in the 1960s. Her father, Sharad Gandbhir, emigrated to study chemical engineering, and her mother, Lalita, joined him later. Geeta and her siblings grew up in the Boston area. Her sister Una S. Gandbhir is a superior court judge in Alaska, and her brother Ashwin Gandbhir is a filmmaker and editor too.

Why filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir is in the news

Geeta Gandbhir just created history by earning two Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards (2026) for her work in documentary cinema. “The Perfect Neighbor” and “The Devil is Busy” from her repertoire are riding the waves of Oscar nods for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Film respectively. This rare achievement has placed her among an elite group of filmmakers whose storytelling is sharper than two-edged swords and has a mass appeal.

Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor is a full-length documentary feature that explores the June 2023 fatal shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens in Ocala, Florida. Directed and produced by Gandbhir, the documentary has earned critical acclaims for its ethical storytelling and careful examination of accountability. Close to her heart professionally and personally, The Perfect Neighbor won the US Documentary Directing Award after it was premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It streams on Netflix.

The other Oscar nomination that Geeta Gandbhir has earned is for The Devil Is Busy that she co-directed with Christalyn Hampton. It is a 31-minute short documentary on the safety of patients and healthcare staff amid continuous protests against abortion restrictions in America. It portrays Tracii, the head of security at a women’s healthcare clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, and shows how she sincerely protects patients and other staff over the course of a day.

Is Geeta Gandbhir the first Indian American to earn Oscar nominations?

No, Geeta Gandbhir is not the first Indian American to receive an Oscar nomination. That distinction goes to M. Night Shyamalan, a renowned Indian-origin American filmmaker with roots in South India. His directorial, The Sixth Sense, had earned two Oscar nominations in 2000, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Later, two Indian American engineers – Parag Havaldar and Kiran Bhat – emerged among the Oscar winners in 2017.

Geeta Gandbhir’s Education and Early Influences

Geeta’s academic journey began at Harvard University, where she studied visual art with a focus on animation. It was here that she encountered influential mentors who shaped her future career. During her time at Harvard, Spike Lee, the acclaimed filmmaker, taught at the university, and Geeta worked closely with his long-time editor Sam Pollard. These early mentorships exposed her to strong narrative filmmaking principles and encouraged her initial work in narrative projects before she transitioned fully into documentaries.

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The AI landscape across the United States is being shaped by Indian immigrants, including CEOs, startup founders, college goers, and American Dream aspirants. 15-year-old Siddharth Nandyala is using AI for early detection of heart diseases; Google roped in AI coding startup CEO Varun Mohan for $2.4bn; 22-year-old Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha became the world’s youngest self-made billionaires. Dhravya Shah, a college dropout building a critical AI memory solution, is a new arrival in the elite club of Indian-origin innovators shaping the AI-driven US economy.

Who is Dhravya Shah, CEO of Supermemory?

Dhravya Shah is a 20-year-old Indian-origin entrepreneur in the AI ecosystem of Silicon Valley and Einstein visa holder. His AI infrastructure company, Supermemory, in the San Francisco Bay Area has recently raised $3 million in seed funding. Born and raised in Mumbai, Shah grew up in a middle-class Indian household where parents dream of IIT education for their children. Like scores of Indian students, Dhravya initially prepared for competitive engineering entrance exams for IITs. During the pandemic when social distance became a new normal, he convinced his parents to buy him a laptop.

When he got a laptop, he quietly embarked on a journey to where he is today. Alongside focusing on IIT entrance exams, he began teaching himself how to build software. One of his earliest successful products was Tweets.beauty, a tool to create customizable and shareable images of tweets in no time. The tool gained strong traction and was eventually acquired by Hypefury, a popular social media growth platform. The acquisition not just got Dhravya Shah early financial independence, it propelled him to thrive further.

Like young Indians who make their first India to USA travel with big dreams and baggage, Shah arrived in the US to learn, build, and grow in a new ecosystem. He enrolled at Arizona State University for a degree in computer science. He once challenged himself to build a new project every seven days for 40 weeks. That experiment led to a prototype of what later became Supermemory. Realizing that building products taught him more than classrooms, Shah dropped out of college to focus completely on tech jobs and entrepreneurship.

His career in the US evolved over various roles, from a full-stack developer at Hypefury to an AI engineer at Mem0 to a developer relations role at Cloudflare, where mentorship from senior engineers enriched his knowledge of scalable systems. These experiences collectively prepared him for his biggest leap yet. In May 2025, Shah received the O-1 visa, which is popularly nicknamed Einstein Visa for individuals with extraordinary ability.

Announcing the milestone online, he wrote, “Officially recognised as extraordinary by the government of USA. Now, I can build a company freely in the US, self-employ and more.”

Today, Dhravya lives and works in San Francisco, his home away from home. Like Amit Kashyap, who took his parents to Las Vegas, and Shivangi Reja, who gave her parents a tour of her workplace at Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle, Supermemory CEO Dhravya Shah invited his parents to his adopted home, America, and took them on tours in the south coast sharing his moments of gratitude to them who worked hard to pave the way for his journey from India to USA.

What is Supermemory? Dhravya’s AI Product

Dhravya Shah’s Supermemory is a leading AI company empowering LLMs to solve one of the biggest limitations of modern artificial intelligence – memory. Most AI systems are powerful but forgetful. They respond well in the moment but struggle to recall past interactions, preferences, and contexts. Supermemory provides a universal memory layer that allows AI systems to store, organize, and recall information over time. What started as a simple bookmarking and note-taking tool built in a college dorm is now a full-scale memory engine for AI applications.

Dhravya Shah’s journey from Mumbai to Silicon Valley mirrors the aspirations of Indians booking flights to USA in search of opportunities. Stories like Shah’s remind us that talent knows no borders. One just needs to identity the right place and the right time to build something meaning because Indian Eagle flight discounts are there to connect them to the home country any time.

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Indian Passport ranks 80th on the Henley Passport Index in 2026. It has moved up five spots higher than the ranking in 2024, enabling Indian Passport holders to visit 55 countries visa-free or with a visa on arrival in 2026. Only Iran and Bolivia have dropped from the list of countries that offer visa on arrival / visa-free entry to Indians with a valid US Visa or Green Card. Evidently, Indian Passport when backed with a valid US visa stamp or a Green Card exerts more power and influence at international levels.

Check out what countries Indians with Green Cards or US visas can visit in 2026 without applying for a visa in advance:

Visa-free Countries for Green Cardholders and US Visa holders

Singapore: 96-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Among visa-free countries for US Green Cardholders and Indians with a valid US visa, Singapore offers 96-hour visa free transit for guided city sightseeing tours. Since the Free Singapore Tour is available only for passengers of Singapore Airlines flights, many US visa holders and Green cardholders among Indians take advantage of the visa-free transit facility while traveling between USA and India through Changi Airport. The US visa stamp on your Indian passport must be valid for 30 days or more from your arrival in Singapore.

Qatar: Visa-free Doha Stopovers

Among visa-free countries for Green Cardholders and US visa holders, Qatar offers visa-free Doha stopovers to passengers of Qatar Airways flights. Qatar’s visa waiver for Indian passport holders from India and the US is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, given they have a passport with minimum 6-month validity, confirmed return flight tickets, and confirmed hotel booking in Doha.

You can call Indian Eagle’s customer helpline +1800-615-3969 for phone-only budget flight deals of Qatar Airways from USA to Doha, or US to India via Doha. You can call the same number to explore Doha stopover packages and the best deals available at Indian Eagle.

Mexico: Visa-Free for 180 Days

Mexico is one of the countries that offer visa-free entry to Indians with Green Card or a valid US visa. You can stay visa-free in Mexico for up to 180 days. Cancun in Mexico is a most popular beach getaway for Indians in the United States. Just make sure your US residency permit or visa is valid at the time of entry to explore Mexico cities and beaches without any visa hassles.

Peru: Visa-Free for 180 Days

Peru is among the visa-free countries for Green Cardholders and US visa holders with Indian passports. You can stay in this South American country for up to 180 days in a calendar year. Minimum 6-month validity of your US visa is a must for visa-free entry to Peru from the time of arrival. Whether hiking to Machu Picchu or soaking in the charm of Lima is your travel goal, the US visa or Green Card makes it easier for Indians to visit Peru without a visa.

Philippines: Visa-Free for 14 Days

The Philippines offers visa-free entry to US Green Cardholders and US work visa holders among Indians. In addition to visa-free entry to Manila, you can holiday for up to 14 days. Your visa-free stay in the Philippines can be extended once for another 7 days. In certain cases, Indian passport holders don’t need a US visa to travel visa-free to Philippines, but they must present confirm return flight tickets, proof of accommodation, and financial documents.

Thailand: Visa-free Entry

Among visa-free countries for Indian passport holders, Thailand is the most welcoming destination in Asia. Irrespective of your US visa status or validity, you can visit Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days. Starting May 2025, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is mandatory for all inbound foreign travelers for legal entry into the country. to be filled online at least 3 days prior to your scheduled arrival in Thailand, the digital form replaced the old paper form and includes a healthy declaration too.

Bahamas: Visa-Free for 30 Days

Bahamas makes island travel easy for Indian passport holders with a valid US visa or Green Card. You don’t need a separate visa to enter, as long as your US visa is multiple-entry and has been used at least once to travel to the US. You can stay up to 30 days in the Bahamas visa-free, soaking in its beaches and clear blue waters. Just make sure your passport is valid for at least six months at the time of entry.

Visa-on-arrival Countries for Green Cardholders and US Visa Holders

UAE Visa-on-Arrival for Dubai and Abu Dhabi Stopovers

The United Arab Emirates tops the list of countries that offer visa on arrival to US Green Cardholders and Indians with a valid US visa. The UAE visa on arrival for eligible Indians is issued for 14 days of stay, which is extendable for additional 14 days for a nominal fee. The visa-on-arrival entry to the UAE has been expanded to Indians holding valid visas or legal residency permits from not only USA and Canada, but also Singapore, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and New Zealand. Your Indian passport and Green Card or US visa must be valid for 6 months from the date of arrival at Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner for Indians in the US, has the best deals for Dubai Experience packages and ‘Visit Abu Dhabi’ tour packages, in addition to exclusive phone-only flight deals from Emirates and Etihad Airways. Indian Eagle’s air-ticketing and tour-planning team is available at +1800-615-3969 (24/7).

Oman: Visa-on-arrival/e-Visa for 30 days

The Oman visa on arrival for Green Card holders and eligible Indian citizens come for 30 days. Like other visa-on-arrival countries, Oman requires Indian citizens to hold a valid visa from the UK, Canada, the UK, Japan, or Schengen countries. Return flight confirmation and hotel reservation are pre-requisites for visa-on-arrival entry to Oman.

Sri Lanka: Visa on Arrival with ETA for 30 Days 

Among the visa-on-arrival countries for US Green Cardholders and Indian citizens without a US visa, Sri Lanka grants 30-day visa on arrival through an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) online. It is simple and hassle-free. Sri Lanka’s visa-on-arrival requirements include your passport with 6-month validity, return or onward flight tickets, proof of accommodation, and financial support documents.

Bahrain: Visa on Arrival for 30 Days

In the Gulf region, Bahrain is on the list of countries offering visa on arrival to Indians with a US Green Card or visa. You can stay in this beautiful island country for up to 14 days on a single-entry visa or up to 30 days on a multiple-entry visa. Starting in October 2025, Gulf Air flights from New York to India make it easier for US visa holders and Green Cardholders to get Bahrain’s visa on arrival for a stopover. A 6-month valid passport, return or onward travel booking confirmation, accommodation proof and sufficient funds are mandatory.

The booking of customized tour packages in all these visa-free countries for Green Cardholders and Indians on US Visas is just a call away at Indian Eagle! Call our trusted travel advisors at +1800-615-3969 for budget-friendly stopover tour packages for family and individuals, as well as discounted phone-only flight deals.

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Both Emirates and Etihad are flag carriers of the UAE, but they have certain competitive advantages over each other – which makes them unique in their way. In the high-stakes game of long-haul travel, Emirates and Etihad strive to deliver the best travel experience, irrespective of travel class and itinerary. A big fleet, a bigger network, luxurious cabins, world-class inflight entertainment, bar lounges at 35,000 feet collectively define Emirates, whereas Etihad stands out for flying nanny service, US pre-clearance, and the first-class suite – The Residence.

Emirates or Etihad: Which airline has a bigger US-India network

Emirates Airlines’ direct access to 12 US gateways has the upper hand in competition with Etihad given the fact that Etihad’s US network is half of Emirates’. You can book Emirates flights to Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, and Seattle – which are missing from Etihad’s list of US destinations. On the other hand, direct Etihad service to Atlanta, and Charlotte is a competitive edge over Emirates.

• Emirates’ US Destinations: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (JFK and Newark), Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C. 
• Emirates’ India Destinations: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.
• Etihad US Destinations: Boston, Chicago, New York (JFK), Washington D.C. (IAD), Atlanta,  Charlotte (starting in March 2026).
• Etihad India Destinations: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Kozhikode, Jaipur, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Emirates’ Dubai stopover vs Etihad’s Abu Dhabi stopover

Both the Middle East airlines offer stopovers in their hub cities, which you can add to your one-way travel or round trip from USA to India. Their stopover programs are free to some extent. While Emirates’ Dubai stopover is restrictive to layovers of minimum 8 hours for Economy/Premium Economy passengers, and 6+ hours for Business Class guests. Etihad’s Abu Dhabi stopover program includes complimentary hotel accommodation for two nights, irrespective of travel class and fare type. While Emirates’ Dubai Connect package for eligible travelers includes free meals and airport transfers, Etihad does not offer the same in its stopover program.

Any airline’s free stopover program comes with certain limitations. For instance, Emirates’ free stopover program is limited to a layover of maximum 26 hours – which is not enough to experience the best of Dubai. Only customized stopover plans with curated experiences for 2 to 4 days can satisfy your urge to explore Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Check out Indian Eagle’s Dubai Experience packages with luxury and leisure activities at unbeatable rates. 

Etihad vs Emirates: Primary advantages

The US CBP pre-clearance facility at Abu Dhabi is Etihad Airways’ primary edge over Emirates for the US-bound passengers. They enter the US as domestic travelers. This is why the US-based Indians turn to IndianEagle.com for best Etihad flight deals for their parents’ hassle-free travel from India to USA via Abu Dhabi.

Premium Economy is Emirates’ best advantage in competition with Etihad. Emirates Airlines is the only Middle East carrier to offer award-winning premium economy seats. The UAE’s Dubai-based flag carrier has the best premium economy seats in the world, according to Skytrax Awards which is hailed as the Oscars of aviation.

Emirates or Etihad: Which airline is more family-friendly

Both Emirates and Etihad are family-friendly airlines catering to specific needs of family travelers with young kids in ways unique to their inflight service standards. Be it dietary care or inflight entertainment for children, Emirates Airlines goes the extra mile to ensure parents travel at ease. Organic baby food being available on board makes Emirates flights the first preference of family travelers with kids younger than 2 years. In addition to baby food reheating to bottle-warming service on board, Emirates’ flight attendants provide feeding bottles and milk formula to those not carrying baby food from home.

Etihad is the only airline offering nanny service for infants aboard select flights from USA to India and other destinations. Introduced in 2013, Etihad Airways’ flying nanny service is a special assistance program designed to ensure a comfortable flight for families with young children. The flying nannies are trained in different modules of childcare, child psychology, and how to entertain kids with different behavior types. They are helping hands when it comes to warming up milk bottles, feeding kids, changing their diapers, reading out to them, and lulling them into sleep.

Emirates vs Etihad: Business Class travel

Both airlines deliver more or less the same business class travel experience from USA to India; however, Emirates’ business class is a notch above Etihad’s in terms of unique facilities on board. Emirates owns the largest fleet of superjumbo A380s with spacious business class cabins. Precisely, Emirates’ A380 business class is known for inflight bars where guest can socialize over an exclusive selection of wines and champagnes.

Emirates operates a larger flagship lounge network for its premium guests, including business class flyers than Etihad Airways. Rated highly by Skytrax Awards, Emirates’ lounges at Dubai DXB Airport offer livelier premium space than Etihad lounges at Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport, according to various passenger survey reports.

Etihad vs Emirates: Passenger safety

Inflight comfort and passenger safety equally matter during long-haul intercontinental travel. The list of 10 safest airlines in the world includes both Emirates and Etihad. Recently, Airlineratings.com, a leading aviation safety ranking website, named Etihad Airways as the world’s safest full-service airline. Emirates is adjudged as the fifth safest airline in 2026. Notably, Emirates’ AI mechanism for turbulence-free flights is one of the latest developments in aviation 2026.

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Since December 2024, Japan Airlines has been offering seamless connectivity beyond its two primary gateways – New Delhi and Bengaluru – through IndiGo, a leading Indian airline with the largest domestic market share. Precisely, IndiGo has been connecting Japan Airlines’ passengers to a broad domestic network from Indira Gandhi DEL and Kempegowda BLR airports as one of JAL’s strategic codeshare partners.

New Delhi and Bengaluru were the only destinations for Japan Airlines flights to India before its codeshare alliance with IndiGo. JAL, one of the best airlines with premium economy seats, operates daily flights to Delhi IGI Airport from/via Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT) airports. JAL flights to Bengaluru Kempegowda Airport from/via Narita International Airport have daily frequency. However, Japan Airlines’ connection between Narita and New Delhi is a temporary service, from 17 January to 1 March 2026.

Japan Airlines’ India network covers 18 cities through IndiGo

IndiGo facilitates domestic travel to and from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Pune, Goa, Varanasi, Lucknow, Amritsar, Surat, Chandigarh, Aurangabad, Coimbatore, Trichy, Thiruvananthapuram, and Leh (Ladakh) for Japan Airlines’ passengers via New Delhi and Bengaluru. The JAL-IndiGo codeshare partnership enables Indians from the US network of Japan Airlines to travel seamlessly to the above-mentioned 18 Indian cities on a single ticket.

“IndiGo is the wind beneath the wings of several international carriers, like Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways, American Airlines, and Air France-KLM for their market growth in India. Not just Japan Airlines, but all these carriers continue to find IndiGo as a reliable codeshare partner for its upgraded fleet, brand-new business class cabin (IndiGo Stretch), and largely, domestic network, and on-time performance. IndiGo is flexing its revenue muscle through codeshare alliances,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor of Travel Beats.

Reportedly, IndiGo, which is primarily branded as an economy airline, is looking to reposition itself with billion-dollar plans to add premium economy and business class to its product portfolio. Thirty A350-900 planes with premium economy and business class seats, which IndiGo has recently placed an order for, will help the airline align with premium passengers of its foreign codeshare partners and their expectations.

IndiGo, which was primarily branded as an all-economy airline for nearly two decades, is repositioning itself to cash in on business class travel. In November 2024, IndiGo Stretch, a brand-new business class product with a number of complimentary services, was rolled out to compete with Air India on metro-to-metro routes and cater to premium guests of its international codeshare partners. IndiGo Stretch features wider seats in a 2-2 configuration, with greater recline, extra legroom, adjustable headrests, and power outlets. IndiGo Stretch bookings include liberal cabin baggage allowance (12kg per person) and priority check-in.

Budget flight tickets of Japan Airlines and other major carriers flying between USA and India are just a call away. Call the toll-free +1800-615-3969 to grab Indian Eagle’s phone-only deals for affordable trips from USA to India and beyond. Indian Eagle, a leading travel-booking partner of Indian Diaspora and Americans, has been booking international flights at the lowest prices for nearly 20 years.

The post Travel on JAL-IndiGo Codeshare Flights to 18 Indian Cities beyond Delhi and Bengaluru on Single Ticket first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Travel on JAL-IndiGo Codeshare Flights to 18 Indian Cities beyond Delhi and Bengaluru on Single Ticket appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Uncertainties either call for or call off travel. However, medical emergencies, urgent business travel, death-like exigency in the family, and other unprecedented crises cannot wait for long visa appointment queues. Some Indians may be eligible for an emergency US visa, when an unprecedented demands immediate travel to the United States.

The term “emergency US visa” is often misunderstood. The United States does not issue a separate emergency visa for Indians or any other nationals. Rather, it offers an option to request an expedited visa interview appointment for emergency travel to USA, in an existing visa category. Here’s a guide to applying for a US emergency visa from India. Know who can qualify, what documents are required, approval timeline, etc.

What is an Emergency US Visa Appointment?

An emergency US visa appointment allows applicants to request an earlier interview date due to a genuine and unforeseen emergency. The visa category remains unchanged, whether it is B1/B2, F1, H1B, or any other US visa type. Approval of an expedited appointment does not guarantee visa approval. Applicants must still qualify under standard visa rules during the interview.

Who qualify for an Emergency US Visa Appointment

The US Embassy in India considers emergency requests only in limited and compelling circumstances. Common qualifying situations include:

• Serious medical emergencies requiring urgent treatment in the United States
• Death or life-threatening illness of an immediate family member
• Students with imminent academic start dates or reporting deadlines
• Rare business emergencies where delay would cause significant and irreversible loss

Events such as tourism, weddings, planned travel, conferences, routine business visits, and likes generally do not qualify for emergency US visa interview appointments.

How to Apply for an Emergency US Visa Appointment from India

Applicants must follow the standard US visa process before requesting an expedited appointment.

• Complete the DS-160 visa application form
• Pay the applicable US visa application fee
• Schedule a regular visa interview appointment through the official US visa scheduling portal
• After booking the regular appointment, submit an emergency or expedited appointment request from your visa profile
• Clearly explain the emergency and upload supporting documents

Applicants should not cancel their original appointment unless the emergency request is approved.

Important Note on Interview Waiver Applicants

If you are eligible for an interview waiver or dropbox appointment, you must cancel the waiver appointment and book a regular interview before requesting an emergency slot. Emergency requests are only reviewed for in-person interviews.

Documents for emergency US Visa appointment

Strong documentation significantly improves the chances of approval. Depending on the reason, documents may include:

• Medical letters explaining diagnosis and urgency
• Hospital records or treatment schedules
• Death certificates or proof of critical illness
• Proof of relationship to the affected family member
• University admission letters with program start dates
• Employer letters explaining urgent business requirements

How early you can get an emergency US Visa appointment in India

There is no guaranteed timeline. Based on real-world experience:

• Emergency request decisions usually arrive within 24 hours to one week
• If approved, appointments may become available within 2 to 7 days
• In extreme medical or humanitarian cases, interviews may be scheduled within 24 to 48 hours

Kindly note emergency interview appointments are limited. Even after approval, applicants may need to frequently check the scheduling portal to find available dates.

This guide is brought to you by Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner for Indian Diaspora and Americans. Booking the best flight deals and best seats at IndianEagle.com is easier and simpler for your best travel experience. You can call +1-800-615-3969 to get unbeatable phone-only flight deals from our airline partners.   

What if the emergency request is denied

If the request is denied, the original visa appointment remains unchanged. There is no penalty, but submitting false or exaggerated claims can negatively affect future visa applications.

Current US Visa appointment wait times in India

According to recent updates from the U.S. Department of State and global visa wait time trackers, US Embassy and Consulate wait times in major Indian cities continue to show significant delays for regular US visa interview appointments:

• Chennai: ~7 months
• Mumbai: ~7 months
• Hyderabad: ~3.5 months
• New Delhi: ~2.5 months
• Kolkata: ~2 months

DISCLAIMER: This article is for only informational purposes. The article should not be construed as an official source of advice or information. Readers are encouraged to verify details with the US Embassy or the nearest US Consulate and/or consult a qualified immigration attorney for advice tailored to their specific circumstances before seeking emergency US visa appointments. Indian Eagle and Travel Beats assume no responsibility for actions taken based on this article.

The post How to Apply for an Emergency Visa to USA in India? A Guide for Indians first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post How to Apply for an Emergency Visa to USA in India? A Guide for Indians appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Aircraft shortage has been a major setback to Air India’s expansion plans, revival goals, transformation journey, and revenues since late Ratan Tata bought back the airline with its outdated fleet. Making the derelict, debt-ridden airline take off to great heights in full glory again proved to be more than a monumental task over time. Despite a multibillion-dollar order placed in February 2023 for a new wide-body fleet, global supply chain issues and geo-political tensions continued to delay new aircraft delivery, as well as retrofitting of the existing aircraft.

As they say every dark cloud has a silver lining, Air India welcomed 2026 with a brand-new B787-9 Dreamliner having arrived to New Delhi from Seattle on 11 January. The first Dreamliner, in the series of 20 Boeing 787-9s, will be inducted into long-haul passenger service in February, and 2026 will see a total of 6 new widebody deliveries including two A350-1000s, according to a media briefing from the Tata Group.

“The induction of an advanced Boeing aircraft into Air India’s fleet is like the dawn of a new beginning. The brand-new B787-9 is not just the first line-fit Dreamliner, it is a new hope for Air India to reclaim its dominance in the nonstop flights service corridor, like from USA to India. Inarguably, aircraft shortage is the principal reason for continued suspension of Air India flights to Washington Dulles IAD since 01 September 2025,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor at IndianEagle.com.

In addition to a Boeing 787-9, Air India took phased delivery of six widebody A350-900s as part of its historic Airbus order including 34 A350-1000s. The safest and best aircraft in Air India’s long-haul fleet, A350-900s have stabilized operations for nonstop flights from New Delhi to New York JFK, Newark EWR, and London Heathrow. Air India’s A350 flights with Premium Economy seats, best-in-class amenities, superlative inflight service, and choicest food have earned rave reviews from passengers traveling between New York and New Delhi.

B777-200LRs leased from Delta Airlines and B777-300ERs leased from Etihad could not survive the pitfalls of Pakistan’s airspace closure, such as rerouting of long-haul flights, refueling stops in Europe, longer travel time, stretched crew duty hours, additional fuel intake, and increased operational overheads. That’s why Air India decided to operate two key routes – San Francisco to Mumbai and Bengaluru – with short layovers in the US and/or India, starting in March this year.

The post After Welcoming New B787-9 in January, Air India to Resume Discontinued Nonstop Flights with More New Aircraft in 2026 first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post After Welcoming New B787-9 in January, Air India to Resume Discontinued Nonstop Flights with More New Aircraft in 2026 appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Great news for Indian Passport holders! In a landmark decision, Germany announced visa-free airport transit for Indians, thereby making Frankfurt and Munich airports hassle-free international layovers for Indians. Till date, Indian nationals have required an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) even for airside layovers within the international transit area at German airports. Only Indians holding a valid US Visa or Green Card have been exempted from Germany’s transit visa rules.

Germany scraps transit visa for Indians. What does it mean?

Once Germany’s new visa-free transit rule for Indians takes effect, you can easily transit through Frankfurt or Munich without an airport transit visa (means less paperwork). The lesser the paperwork, the lesser the hassle. Precisely, no transit visa will be required for the Frankfurt or Munich airport layover in your itinerary while traveling between USA and India via Germany.

Indians from the US and Canada will mostly benefit from Germany’s visa-free transit facility. Despite having an expired Canadian or US visa, Indians will be able to travel to India via Frankfurt or Munich without needing a German airport transit visa. Inarguably, many Indians from North America visit the home country for visa renewals. Demand for Lufthansa flights to India, which was declining among Indian expats due to the strict airport transit visa requirement, will again peak up.

When will visa-free transit in Germany be effective for Indians?

On his first visit to India, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the decision to make transit in Germany visa-free for Indians. It is currently in progress. Once a legal framework is in place for the implementation, a tentative date will be announced for Indian Passport holders to transit visa-free in Germany while flying to USA, Canada, or any other non-Schengen country.

Does Germany’s new visa-free transit rule allow Indians to enter the Schengen area?

A big ‘No’. The visa-free airport transit facility will continue to have certain restrictions for Indian passport holders, regardless of their US/Canadian visa or PR. Visa-free transit at German airports does not mean entry to the Schengen area. You may require a German airport transit visa even for landside access, if you need to change terminals at Frankfurt or Munich airport for landside transit or connection.

“We will continue to advice our customers booking Indian Eagle deals for Lufthansa flights, to check with the airline whether their itineraries require a German airport transit visa,” said Dheeraj Duvvuru, CEO of IndianEagle.com.

German visa rules for itineraries with two Schengen layovers

If your US-India itinerary has a layover at both Munich and Frankfurt Airport, you must need a regular Schengen visa (not a transit visa). A transit visa only permits you to catch a connecting flight to a non-Schengen country, whereas you must have a Schengen visa for connecting from a Schengen airport to another Schengen airport in the same country or in a different country.

Do Indians with a Green Card need a Schengen visa for Lufthansa flights via two Schengen airports?

Yes. Neither a valid US visa nor permanent residency status exempts you from the Schengen Visa rules. A Schengen visa is one of the most important travel documents required for hassle-free travel on Lufthansa flights via two Schengen airports in Germany.

The post Germany’s Transit Visa Rules for Indians Change in 2026; Know How It will Benefit Indians Flying to and from USA via Germany first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Germany’s Transit Visa Rules for Indians Change in 2026; Know How It will Benefit Indians Flying to and from USA via Germany appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.