In a move that is expected to hit Indian IT companies, the US government has decided to hike H-1B visa fee from next fiscal.
Refuting the allegations of United States lawmakers and certain quarters here that H-1B visas take away jobs from Americans, Nasdaq's chief has claimed that studies show that for every H-1B visa, technology companies increase employment by five workers.
The changes if legalised would have a detrimental effect on the functioning of Indian tech companies in the US and also small and medium-sized contractual farms in the IT sector, which are mostly owned by Indian Americans.
TechNet executives are meeting with senior Obama Administration officials and an array of bipartisan Congressional leaders to advocate for a robust innovation policy agenda.
This is the first time that the cap is reached on the first day of receiving the applications on April 2.
This measure to double the number of temporary visas to H-1B skilled-workers to 115,000 -- with an option of raising the cap 20 per cent more each year -- was buried in the Senate's giant 300-page Immigration Bill that got approved 12-6 on Tuesday.
The number of applications filed for H-1B visa this year was around 40 per cent higher than a year ago.
As the United States plans to reduce the number of H1-B visas to 65,000 from 195,000, India's apex body National Association of Software and Service Companies sought to cap it between 120,000 and 130,000
Amid hints that the government might be exploring capping royalty payments by India-based subsidiaries to US companies, experts warn Subhayan Chakraborty why such a move will only hurt the Indian economy.
Nasscom on Monday said the US clarification that the H-1B visa fee hike will not affect current visa holders and will apply as a one-time fee only to fresh petitions has helped address the immediate ambiguity surrounding eligibility and timelines.
All advanced degree petitions not selected then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.
Primarily meant for computers and information technology professionals, the H-1B visas have been one of the most sought after for foreign professionals in previous years. The US Citizenship and Immigration Service has been receiving several times the number of the allocated quota. However, this year, the USCIS is struggling to fill up the 65,000 H-1B visas as mandated by the US Congress.
The new Grassley-Durbin bill would weaken the economy. Here's how to let the H-1B visa program strengthen the US instead.
Even as the proposed H-1B visa curbs and possible elimination of this programme by the United States Congress is on the cards, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said in Washington on Wednesday that there's absolutely nothing India can do about it because it's a sovereign prerogative of the US.
Indian IT companies can take a breather as the US Senate vote for imposing stringent conditions on the hiring of H-1B visa workers.
In June, Disney had laid off about 250 employees.
A top American Senator, who visited New Delhi earlier this month, vowed to look into the "disproportionate number" of H-1B visa being denied from India, amid concerns over the increase in certain categories of visa fees.
In a proposal that will hit Indian IT companies the most, US software giant Microsoft Corporation has suggested a whopping fee of $10,000 (over Rs 5 lakh) for a new category of H-1B visas and $15,000 (more than Rs 7.5 lakh) for permanent residency or Green Card.
The Trump administration has announced new restrictions on H-1B non-immigrant visa programme which it said is aimed at protecting American workers, restoring integrity and to better guarantee that H-1B petitions are approved only for qualified beneficiaries and petitioners, a move which is likely to affect thousands of Indian IT professionals.
US lawmakers have urged President Donald Trump to reconsider his proclamation on H1-B visas, including the USD 100,000 fee, asserting that Indian nationals are central to American leadership in IT and AI, and the restrictions will negatively impact US-India ties.
Lower numbers signal that that companies, especially the technology services firms, are steadily reducing the dependency on non-immigrant visas.
Frist hoped that the bill would clear the full Senate this week, or before Congress heads for a two-week Easter recess.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first-ever in-person meeting with President Joe Biden raised a number of issues involving the Indian community in America, including access for Indian professionals in the US and speaking about the H-1B visas, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said.
The United States has said outsourcing to India was 'unavoidable' and that it was actively considering increasing the H1B visas for Indian workers.
The US move to reduce the number of H1B visas to 65,000 from 195,000 will affect the Indian information technology industry in the long run, Kiran Karnik
Applications for H-1B work visa for the fiscal year 2013 would be accepted from April 2.
Proposals to allow more high-technology foreign workers into the US are gaining ground in Congress despite assertions by labour and anti- immigrant lobbies that plenty of Americans are available to fill the jobs.
'Trump has signaled that he has changed his stance on the H1B visa from his first term.'
USIBC is pulling together a similar advocacy team like what they did during the US-India civil nuclear initiative.
Several Indians who arrived with an H-1B visa at Newark and John F Kennedy airports were deported based on a new rule, immigration attorneys and activists have reported. The new rule stipulates that those who arrive on a work visa should 'arrive at the place of work'.
Eighteen American information technology professionals have filed a civil lawsuit against its former employer, Cognizant, for replacing them with people from India who were hired by the IT major on H-1B visas.
LinkedIn experts and real-life stories offer hope that Indian tech talent can still thrive globally, even as the $100,000 H1B fee reshapes onsite opportunities.
Massive restrictions on legal immigration - including restricting immigrants who contribute to medicine, science, and research in the United States, and who are working to develop treatments for coronavirus and other deadly diseases - will not only hinder efforts to save lives, but prevent job creation and hurt American economy as the country struggles to recover.
The proposed changes are forward-looking and non-specific, said Nasscom
The annual meet also saw some shareholders of the country's second largest IT services company raising concerns over falling operating margins. But many congratulated the management for delivering good FY20 performance despite the tough economic conditions.
The US Citizenship Act 2023 introduced by Congresswoman Linda S nchez creates an earned roadmap to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, providing Dreamers, TPS holders, and some farmworkers with an immediate path to citizenship.
India has expressed concerns over the potential humanitarian consequences of the Trump administration's new restrictions on the H1B visa program, particularly the disruption to families. The government hopes the US authorities will address these issues.
Indian IT firms - which have to incur an additional burden of about $400 million annually - have called it "discriminatory".
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