Beth Payne, consul general, consulate general of the United States of America said, "Although we cannot predict the number, there has always been a cap on the H1B visas. The number of petitions filed every year are always more than number of H1B visas we can issue because of which we had to introduce the lottery system. I don't see any major impact on India because of the restriction."
In what could be seen as a setback to Indian IT professionals, the US Senate has voted for imposing strict conditions on hiring of people with H-1B visas by American companies receiving federal bailout money.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B visa petitions for the fiscal year 2010 from Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Read on to find out all you wanted to know about H-1B visas.
Most applicants of the H1-B visas, much sought-after by hi-tech professionals including Indians, are 'average' workers and not the 'innovators' as portrayed by industry lobbyists, a report has said, opposing the extension of the popular guest worker programmes. New data analysis shows that the vast majority of H1-B workers, including those at most major tech firms, are not the innovators industry portrays them to be, the Centre for Immigration Studies said in a statement.
USCIS received over 2,36,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period, which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption.
The conspiracy with which Patel and Mohta are charged carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
"To ensure a fair and orderly distribution of available H-1B visas, USCIS will deny or revoke multiple petitions filed by an employer for the same H-1B worker and will not refund the filing fees submitted with multiple or duplicative petitions," the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said. The USCIS has sent the interim final rule for publication in the Federal Register for it becoming effective.
The Microsoft founder told lawmakers that the immigration system would have to be revamped in such a fashion so as to allow more number of people to get into America on H-1B visas and it did not make sense for a bright foreign student to be educated using American tax-payers money and then sent home on some immigration requirement. "It makes no sense to educate people in our universities, often subsidised by US taxpayers, and then insist they return home," Gates said.
The US had initiated investigation against Infosys and its larger rival Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for possible violations of H-1B visa rules in June.
This is against the Congressionally-mandated cap of 65,000 H-1B visas for this year.
Despite an over 50 per cent drop in the number of H1-B visas issued to some Indian IT firms in 2007 against 2006, US Democrat senators Richard J Durbin and Charles E Grassley have written to nine Indian companies that figure among the top 25 recipients of approved H-1B visa petitions in 2007 seeking detailed information on how they use the visa programme.
The Boston Globe in an editorial asked the Congress to increase the H-1B visas, contending that the US has every economic incentive to keep recent graduates and welcome new immigrants that companies, especially those in tech and innovation, want in Washington.
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 lawsuit has been filed by American Immigration Council and American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Thirteen governors in the United States have written to senior senators urging the need to streamline the immigration laws in the country.
Dr Arun Vakil, US visa expert, discusses the current shortage of H-1B visas. He tells Get Ahead readers about the various status -- pending, rejected and approved.
The US Senate has agreed on the broad contours of a comprehensive immigration reform legislation that not only deals with an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the US but also seeks to increase the H1B visa allocation.
Dr Vakil, visa and immigration expert, discusses the H-1B visa with our readers. What's the current status? What will happen in the future?
The Trump administration is reportedly moving ahead with its decision not to give work permits to the spouses of H-1B visa-holders, arguing that this displaces genuine American workers.
Almost all Indian IT companies pay between $8,000 and $10,000 per H1B visa as per the hike
No Republican lawmaker dares cross Norquist, as the majority of them signed on to his Taxpayer Protection Plan, where they pledge never to vote for any legislation to increase taxes.
IT professionals from India and major Indian IT companies are major beneficiary of H-1B.
Getting the popular work visa will become tougher for Indian-Americans.
Swaraj and Tillerson discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, including the situation in the neighbourhood and the Indo-Asia Pacific region, officials said.
Recruitment from colleges should be done and local people be trained to add value to Indian companies, said Murthy.
The ruling came following an argument in an amicus brief by American Immigration Council.
A Bill to double the number of H-1B visas to 115,000, with the option of raising the limit 20% annually is now pending before US Congress.
H-1B visa programme has over the years brought hundreds of thousands of Indian skilled professionals to the United States.
The US Mission in India issued almost two-thirds of all H1-B visas that were given worldwide in 2005, according to data from public affairs office, US Consulate General in Kolkata.
US' IT industry wants a cap on H!B visas.
All advanced degree petitions not selected then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.
The four defendants allegedly used three California corporations to orchestrate the improper submission of more than one hundred H-1B visa applications.
Donald Trump said America needs highly skilled professionals.
Analysts say the impact on Indian entities would not be immediate
Bullish on increased outsourcing by the US IT firms from India, the domestic software firms view as "positive" or of "little impact" last week's decision by the US to reduce H-1B visa issued to workers in technology industry to 65,000 from 195,000.
The companies experienced a drop of 5,436 approved petitions (37 per cent) in 2016 as compared to previous year, a report by the National Foundation for American Policy, a Washington-based non-profit think-tank, said.
The United States will start accepting the applications for H-1B visas, most sought after by Indians, from April one for the fiscal 2011.
