The US government has removed a regulation proposed by former president Donald Trump's administration that sought to narrow the definition of "specialty occupation" under the H-1B visa regime. The change comes as a relief for Indian information technology firms, which are among the largest users of such visas. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formally vacated a regulation that would have redefined the H-1B specialty occupation, restricted off site placement of H-1B employees, and otherwise increased employer compliance obligations. "The vacatur follows a federal court ruling that set aside the regulation because the agency did not have good cause to bypass notice and comment rulemaking, in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act," explained immigration law firm Fragomen.
International companies usually store data on global servers and the requirement to store data locally would require them to make an additional investment. But policymakers in India believe storing data locally would help monitor and conduct investigations if the need arises.
A group of pro-Khalistani protesters on Sunday attacked and damaged the Indian consulate in San Francisco, prompting sharp condemnation from Indian-Americans who demanded immediate action against those responsible for it.
The new measures will include additional interviews of applicants' family members, and close scrutiny of potential ties to organised crime, said senior US officials.
The United States has said it is currently focusing on the reinstatement of those students not implicated in the ongoing investigations into the visa scam by the California-based Tri Valley University.
Under the agreement reached between the department and the Sikh-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, posters will be distributed to federal facilities across the country, showing photos of different kirpans.
The H-1B work visas for highly skilled professionals have been most beneficial from IT sector professionals from India.
Due to the huge pile-up of visa applications, the US consular officers in the neighbouring country are now adjudicating Indian visa applications where interview requirements have been waived.
The programme permits visa free travel for 20 mn visitors per year.
The United States has proposed changes to the H-2B application process to make it more responsive to urgent work force needs in the country.
The state government will seek technological help from the United States to plug the breaches in embankments and roads caused by floods.
Major Avtar Singh, a 47-year-old fugitive and a former Indian Army officer wanted in the killing of a lawyer in India who on Saturday, June 9 killed his family members before turning the gun on himself was on a removal proceeding. Ritu Jha reports.
An Indian fugitive from Canada, who was featured in 'Americas Most Wanted' was finally arrested in California by the California highway patrol, and the police departments in Santa Monica, El Monte, and Los Angeles Homeland Security Investigators agents. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the news on Tuesday.
Bag scanning of international passengers is done routinely and the "privileges are not above law", the Delhi customs said on Monday after a video by a Kashmiri journalist over her bag checking at the airport in New Delhi went viral.
All versions of Java 7 through update 10 are affected.
The Bill requires the Congress to buy goods and services made in America for the first time in nearly seven decades.
An estimated 240,000 Indian immigrants are among 11.5 million foreigners living illegally in the United States without proper immigration documents, according to latest official figures.
Cohen, testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs' Subcommittee on International Security on the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and the US-Pakistan strategic relationship, predicted that "Pakistan may decide, as a matter of state policy, to extend a nuclear umbrella -- or engage in nuclear sharing --with one of more Middle East states, especially if Iran acquires a nuclear device."
President Donald Trump's executive order restricting entry of skilled foreign workers into the US, mainly on H-1B and L1 visas, has resulted in an estimated loss of $100 billion to companies in the US, a top American think-tank claimed. The executive order signed by Trump on June 22, that had temporarily banned issuing fresh H-1B and L-1 visas till December 31, caused a negative impact to the valuation of Fortune 500 firms equivalent to over $100 billion in losses, Brookings Institute said in a report released this week.
Leaders from South Asian and Arab American communities and from religious groups met recently with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to discuss joint efforts against domestic extremists. They also brought up concerns over discrimination and racial and religious profiling in the wake of rules imposed after the Christmas Day terrorism attempt by Nigerian suicide bomber Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab.
Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao has written to United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her to view the cases of over 1,000 Indian students affected by the "sham" Tri-Valley University with "understanding" and in a "fair" manner.
Benchmark share indices ended nearly 2% down on Monday, amid weak cues from Asia and Europe, with index heavyweight Infosys leading the decline
Kuwaiti authorities have identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the tragic fire incident in a building housing foreign workers in the Gulf Kingdom, a top official said on Thursday.
"The US Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organisations," said a joint statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security and Director of National Intelligence.
Diplomats in Washington, DC, San Francisco, and other places have expressed their disquiet at the way Indian students have been treated like potential fugitives--even criminals--only because of irregularities in the way their university was run. It is not clear how much success they have had in helping Indian students, who are still paying thousands of dollars in bail.
Ritu Jha speaks to some Indian students who have been at the receiving end of the Tri-Valley University scam in the United States.
US immigration authorities have released a Pakistani journalist who reports for the Voice of America and whose home was destroyed by Taliban militants last month.
'The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!' Trump said in a tweet.
Foreigners entering the United States through J F Kennedy airport in New York will now be required to give the prints of all fingers instead of two index fingers sought previously. The new system, which is in its initial stages, is aimed at enhancing the security and efficiency in verifying the identities of the visitors' arriving at the airport, said US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The final evaluation of the new system will be made in December.
Prakash Khatri, who created history when he was appointed the first-ever Ombudsman of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security tendered his resignation, effective February 29.
A New York Police Department team that visited Mumbai to understand the mechanics of the multiple terrorist strikes of November 26 has identified the use of technology, particularly cell phones, by terrorists as a means of communication and information dissemination as a potential danger to guard against.
"Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!" Trump tweeted, not just attacking Judge Robart's decision but going after him who may yet make more decisions on the matter this week.
'With good allies in places like Pakistan, we are getting information that is more detailed and more specific than we had before about terrorists' plans,' the US National Security Adviser said.
People from India account for the maximum number of the resident non-immigrant population in the United States, latest governmental figures have revealed. Of the total number of 1.83 million resident non-immigrants in the US in the year 2008, as many as 400,000 were from India, followed by 150,000 from Canada and 140,000 from South Korea, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
The statue of Gandhi, which was donated by the Indian government to the city of Davis, was installed by the city council four years ago amidst protests from anti-Gandhi and anti-India organisations.
Sunlight, high temperature of more than 95 degrees Fahrenheit (or 35 degrees Celsius), and humidity cuts the half-life of the virus on surfaces from up to 18 hours to a matter of minutes,the study said.
United States Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has said the absence of an operational incident manager -- as was developed in the US after the 9/11 attack -- clearly was a major problem during the Mumbai terror attacks, where there was a glaring lack of coordination between various departments and agencies.
US President Donald Trump has slammed federal judge James Robart who lifted the travel ban he had imposed on citizens of seven mainly-Muslim countries, taking an unusual jab at an independent branch of the US government as he vowed to bring back the restrictions.
Thanks to the world-wide media attention as well as the involvement of Democratic Congressman from Ohio, Dennis Kucinich, 6-year old Alyssa Thomas's name was removed from the no fly-list by the United States homeland security.
Even as the H1-B cap for the year was reached for regular and 'advanced degree' students, the Department of Homeland Security announced an extension of the Optional Practical Training period up to 29 months.
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