The application for visas to the United States is likely to increase by about 40-50 per cent in the coming five years, said Henry V Jardine, Consul General of the United States at the Bengal National Chamber Of Commerce and Industries in Kolkata.

There has been a growth of about 20 per cent in visa application during 2006-2008.

The number of visa applications increased from 450,000 to around 700,000 during the past two years.

Information Technology companies like IBM and Cognizant were planning to expand campuses in India and West Bengal and expanding their work force.

Since these companies had to send staff to the US, the number of visas applied for would considerably increase.

Keeping in mind the pressure from additional applications, three new additional US Consulate offices would be opened in the near future. The proposal was before the department of United States.

Without changing norms and regulations regarding visa applications, the process had been made quicker and more efficient, he claimed.

Jardine mentioned that over 80,000 students from India went to USA and this number would substantially increase.

India was a good investment target for US companies, and an outsourcing partner, said Jardine. India's energy sector was an important destination for US investment too, he added.