Earlier, immigration regulations had set a more stringent standard on the maximum time in H or L status, whether as a worker or an employee.
Indian IT industry veterans believe lack of maturity from the political leadership may have helped people in the US to take advantages.
India has expressed concern over the hike in visa fee by the US, saying it is "discriminatory" and largely affects Indian IT professionals.
WH said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership
The challenges before the IT industry are many and its response over the coming months will shape the future of what has been one of the most vibrant value-creating and livelihood-enabling sectors.
US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the world's largest trade deal, and investigate abuses of work visa programmes as he outlined his policy plans for the first 100 days in office.
Called the US Citizenship Act of 2021, the legislation modernises the immigration system, and also proposes to eliminate the per country cap for employment-based green cards, a move that would benefit thousands of Indian IT professionals whose current wait period for legal permanent residency runs into several decades.
Why the proposed United States rule change for H-4 (dependent) visa holders is not enough and what you should do about it
Ex-employee Steven Heldt had sued the company for favouring South Asians and discriminating against American workforce.
'It is not that the H1B visa employees are coming in to displace jobs.'
All companies that have 50% or more employees from outside the US to pay a higher visa fee of $10,000 for each such staffer, against $4,500 at present.
Nasscom, the apex body that represents the Indian IT outsourcing industry, will demand 'service visas' instead of mentioning H1-B/L1 visas.
American CEOs expected to meet Modi on Sunday include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.
India has stated that the move would impact Indian IT professionals.
Software services industry may have to relook its cost structure to maintain a higher margin.
To increase local talent mix in the US like their major peer Infosys
The controversy over visas for high-skilled workers from abroad is about to get hotter. H-1B visa program was set up to allow firms in US to import the best in technology, engineering, and other fields when such workers are in short supply in America. But data released by the federal government show that offshore outsourcing firms, particularly from India, dominate the list of companies awarded H-1B visas in 2007.
The single greatest empowerment to our economic growth as we continue to move towards three per cent or four per cent GDP growth will be the resources that we need to fill hi-tech jobs, advanced degrees, advanced analytics, science and research: Senator Thom Tillis.
'I am in favour of keeping these talented people here so they can go to work in Silicon Valley.'
This employment-based backlog is projected to double by fiscal 2030. The back log exists because the number of foreign workers whom US employers sponsor for Green Cards each year exceeds the annual statutory Green Card allocation. In addition to this numerical limit, a statutory seven per cent per-country ceiling prevents the monopolisation of employment-based Green Cards by a few countries.
Making a case for revising the H1B visas upwards, the US Commerce Secretary has said high-tech businesses are facing shortages in filling up positions
The US dependent visa puts many restrictions on the spouses, mostly women, of the skilled workers who have an H1-B visa. Some even felt like they were thrown back into a model of the 'traditional family' where women are not valued at all outside of the home.
Sources also said that India meets the criteria for a US sanctions waiver for procuring S-400 missile defence systems from Russia and the Trump administration has 'enough flexibility' on the issue.
Demand for digital technologies and resumption of normal economic activities will drive sales for IT companies, and the sector will post a revenue growth of up to 9 per cent in 2021-22, a report said on Thursday. Rating agency Icra gave a "stable" outlook for the sector, whose size is pegged at over $180 billion by industry lobby Nasscom, including the business process outsourcing business. The IT services sector's revenues will rise between 7-9 per cent in rupee terms and between 5-8 per cent in dollar terms in 2021-22, it estimated.
Keshav Murugesh, CEO of the Nasdaq-listed WNS, discusses the impact of the Trump administration on BPO and BPM industry with Ayan Pramanik.
Infosys is planning to hire the first 500 within two years.
A US president graced the Republic Day parade in the first year of the Modi regime. Will another American prez turn up in the final year of the first Modi Sarkar?
H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa, which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations
India's IT industry will seek an increase in the number of H1-B (non-immigrant) visas and a mechanism to refund social security taxes paid by Indian professionals in the US, when President George W Bush visits India early next month.
Immigrants from five countries -- India, Bolivia, Lebanon, Sudan and Ghana -- stood in a line during the ceremony in the White House.
Wives of thousands of skilled professionals from India and other countries in the US on H-1B and other temporary work visas are increasingly frustrated because they were not allowed to work, a report said on Monday.
US visa expert Dr Arun Vakil explains how to apply for a US work visa.
If shutdown stays for an extended period, there would be an overall macroeconomic impact that may affect the IT industry.
The Mumbai-headquartered company, however, said it would selectively hire experienced employees from outside.
Obama used his executive power to announce a series of administrative measures to provide legal status to over five million illegal immigrants in the country, including those from India.
On Friday, the stock was the worst hit among the 30 blue-chips on the Sensex
The endorsement first by a sitting American Senator comes days ahead of the crucial Republican presidential primaries on Tuesday in 11 states.
The White House made its position clear on the contentious H-1B provisions of Senate version of the immigration bill in a fact sheet prepared for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community, which includes the influential Indian American community.
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