A dearth of skilled staff, especially for high-end technologies, coupled with difficulty in obtaining H1-B visas, is prompting Indian IT companies to hire more people on a temporary basis overseas.
India said on Wednesday that it has conveyed its concerns to the United States over the hike in fees for H1B and L category visas and hopes for an 'early resolution' of the issue as the move was affecting Indian companies.
With the many different kinds of US visas, one begins to wonder if getting one visa has any implications on another. Read on to clear your confusion.
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The immigration bill, from the US point of view, is going to bring in much more talent to the US, which is desirable aid, said economist Arvind Subramanian.
Senator Chuck Grassley on Thursday wrote to the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, seeking investigation into B-1 visa programme, used by companies to hire foreign workers, not subject to the cap and the prevailing wage requirements of the H1-B programme.
Through these new hires and centres, Infosys will also focus on enhancing its play in new technology areas like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, user experience, cloud and big data.
The president's moves will make it easier for entrepreneurs to work in the United States
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.
The bill proposes to increase the H-1B visa fees to about $5,000 per application.
Experts said this would not only reduce Infosys' dependence on the H1B visa, which has seen increased restrictions under the current US administration. It will also help the company in building an employee pyramid for its future operations.
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.
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.
WH said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership
Details of the Trump's executive order were not immediately known.
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.
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.
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.
'It is not that the H1B visa employees are coming in to displace jobs.'
'The China opportunity, the digital opportunity and the end of geography opportunity are the three pieces of luck India got due to Covid.'
India has stated that the move would impact Indian IT professionals.
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.
Software services industry may have to relook its cost structure to maintain a higher margin.
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.
To increase local talent mix in the US like their major peer Infosys
'I am in favour of keeping these talented people here so they can go to work in Silicon Valley.'
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.
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.
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.
Keshav Murugesh, CEO of the Nasdaq-listed WNS, discusses the impact of the Trump administration on BPO and BPM industry with Ayan Pramanik.
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.
H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa, which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations
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.
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.
Infosys is planning to hire the first 500 within two years.
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