US Vice President J D Vance has labelled the H-1B visa programme as "completely broken" and expressed support for its total abolition. He argues that corporations exploit the system to replace American workers with cheaper international staff, rather than bringing in elite talent. Vance also defended the controversial $100,000 levy on certain H-1B petitions, viewing it as a deterrent against cost-cutting exploitation.
A US federal judge has ruled that the USD 100,000 fee imposed by former President Donald Trump for H-1B visa applications was unlawful, as it lacked congressional approval. The ruling states the fee was a tax, exceeding the administration's authority and impacting skilled global talent.
A group of Republican lawmakers in the US Congress has introduced a bill proposing a three-year pause to the H1-B visa programme, citing concerns that it is being used to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour.
The H-1B visa once symbolised the American Dream for Indians, but today's students are increasingly asking whether they need America at all. In 1995, the question was: How do I get to America? In 2026, it may be: Do I need to?
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised India's concerns with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding changes to US visa and immigration policies, emphasising that legal mobility should not be negatively affected. Rubio acknowledged potential 'bumps' during the transition as the US aims to improve its immigration system.
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
H-1B visa reform bill introduced in US Senate
A senior Pakistani official reveals the UAE is restricting visas for Pakistanis, while the UAE ambassador discusses visa facilitation reforms. Concerns about criminal activities and visit visa violations are cited.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and eight other major corporations have been questioned by US Senators for filing thousands of H-1B skilled labour visa petitions after conducting "mass layoffs" of American employees.
An Indian doctoral student from Tamil Nadu, Q Manivannan, has sparked a debate on immigration and representation in UK politics after winning a local election in Scotland. Manivannan's victory has drawn criticism from anti-immigration voices, highlighting the rules that allow foreign nationals to contest elections in Scotland.
This could come as a setback to thousands of Indian engineers who have waited for years for their work visas to pave the way for the coveted Green Card.
For India, the guiding principle should remain clear: Engage Bangladesh as a sovereign nation and society rather than through the prism of any individual leader or political party, suggests Manoj Mohanka.
90 per cent of institutions recorded no improvement in international student metrics, despite government initiatives such as the Study in India programme, UGC regulations on internationalisation, and efforts to attract foreign students.
To the extent that body shopping is replaced by true offshoring, everyone is better off, says Ajay Shah.
A group of influential lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan legislation in the US Senate to comprehensively overhaul the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes and usher in more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
An American lawmaker will be introducing a bill to "completely eliminate" the H-1B visa programme and take away the pathway to citizenship that it offers, "forcing" individuals to "return home" when their visa expires.
A US Homeland Security official says America will continue using the H-1B visa programme, emphasizing integrity and vetting, while highlighting increased naturalization rates under the Trump administration.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk voices strong support for the H1B visa program, highlighting the immense benefit the US has derived from Indian talent and cautioning against shutting it down.
Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, are among the largest cohort of H-1B visa holders.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a 'H-1B FAQ' document, released on Sunday, said that the September 19 proclamation took an "important, initial, and incremental step" to reform the H-1B visa programme to curb abuses and protect American workers.
In what is seen as a U-turn, US President Donald Trump appeared to defend the H-1B visa programme to bring talent from across the world, saying a foreign investor cannot pull people off an unemployment line, who haven't worked in five years, and start making missiles.
Indian graduates face tougher English tests, shorter post-study stays, higher costs and stricter settlement rules as Britain rolls out sweeping immigration reforms.
However, the US embassy, making public the punitive action, did not divulge the identity of the business leaders whose visas were revoked in view of the allegations.
'As one of many immigrants at Nvidia, I know the opportunities we've found in America have profoundly shaped our lives.'
'You are a guest in the US. It's not your home, you're a guest. If they don't feel comfortable, you have to step out.'
'If movement remains stalled for three to four months, more than 300,000 recruitments from India could be affected.'
With more than 1.2 million Indians stuck in green card backlogs, investor-driven EB-5 programme sees rising interest as a secure route for migration to the US.
From the perspective of an American worker who is being displaced it does not make a difference whether he is displaced by a visa-dependent company or a non-visa-dependent company or a 50-50 company or whatever: Nasscom president.
'Returning Indians can leverage their international skills and the strong funding environment for start-ups here.'
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.
New data reveals a significant drop in UK net migration, with Indian students and workers topping the list of those leaving the country.
India is growing fast, but to keep growing strong, the government must make more things at home, create jobs, and spend money wisely, suggests Rajiv Memani, regional managing partner, Africa-India Region, EY.
Saudi Arabia has scrapped its decades-old Kafala system, freeing 13 million migrant workers, including 2.6 million Indians, from restrictive employer control and exit visa rules.
Indian-origin tech companies cornered a fifth of all H-1B visas issued by the US with Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services leading the pack, an analysis of data from the US immigration department showed. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in April-September 2024 period, out of the total 1.3 lakh H-1B visas issued to different employers, about 24,766 visas were issued to Indian-origin companies.
Elon Musk, who has previously vowed to "go to war" to defend the H-1B visa program, has reignited debate surrounding the program by labeling it "broken" and in urgent need of "major reform." Musk, along with Indian-American tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, has been tapped by Trump to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While Musk acknowledges the need for foreign workers in the tech industry, he believes the current H-1B system needs significant changes, including raising the minimum salary and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the visa. The H-1B visa, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, has been a subject of debate for years. The tech industry advocates for more H-1B visas to attract highly skilled workers, while some argue that it allows businesses to replace Americans with lower-paid foreign workers.
It is difficult to make conveyor belt and baggage-scanning scenes thrilling -- which is how most people trying to sneak out through the Green Channel are caught -- but Neeraj Pandey and co-director Raghav M Jairath and co-writer Vipul K Rawal make sure there is enough going on to make the series watchable, raves Deepa Gahlot.
A deep dive into Trump's new policy and what it means for Indian professionals and companies.
Under these reforms, the H-1B programme will prioritise those workers who are offered the highest wage, ensuring that the highest-skilled applicants are admitted, the White House said.
Among Sensex firms, Tata Motors, Bharat Electronics, UltraTech Cement, Tech Mahindra, Mahindra & Mahindra, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services and Axis Bank were the major laggards. However, Power Grid, Hindustan Unilever, NTPC and HCL Tech were among the gainers.
After a year of modest returns, equity investors may anticipate gains of 10-15 per cent in Samvat 2082, which began on October 21. Although valuations have moderated from their peaks a year earlier, they remain above long-term averages, potentially limiting sharp upsides.
