Largest number of US job visas issued

Chennai: The US Consulate in Chennai issues the largest number of employment visas in the world., which was a reflection of the skill level of the people of Tamil Nadu, said Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America to India, on Tuesday.

The ambassador, who was speaking to Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam at the secretariat here, said that US companies would be very keen to participate in the Global Investors Meet and the Principal Commercial  Officers in the US Embassy and the consulate in Chennai would like to be involved in the event, according to a release.  

She also discussed the deep and historic ties between the US and India, specifically Tamil Nadu, and said that the United States too wanted promote investment and greater people-to-people contact.  The Ambassador mentioned that in future, teams of senior officials and investors would be persuaded to also travel to Chennai besides Delhi and view in person the economic opportunities in the state.

Chief Minister Panneerselvam stated that Tamil Nadu was proud to be a favoured destination for foreign investors, particularly from the US in the coming years. “Tamil Nadu is a well administered and progressive state which has been set on a high growth path under Vision Tamil Nadu 2023,” he told the US Ambassa-dor.

The vision document envisages substantial strengthening of infrastructure, including human capital in the state, by 2023 with an investment of Rs 15 lakh crore (US $245 billion).

He pointed out to the visiting dignitaries that some of the key projects where US investment could be focused included the development of a finance city in Chennai, industrial parks, nodes and clusters, including part of the Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor project, renewable energy projects and entrepreneurship development initiatives.  

The CM also pointed to the three years of constructive work done by former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.