India claims that the Trump administration’s decision to impose a new $100, 000 annual fee on H-1B worker visas in the US is likely to have humanitarian effects, citing “potential disruptions for families” as a result.
India’s foreign ministry stated in a statement on Saturday that New Delhi hopes the US authorities will “address the disruptions appropriately,” adding that the government is looking into the full ramifications of the policy.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
H-1B visas allow businesses to sponsor foreigners with specialized skills to work in the US, initially for three years before being extended to six.
Last year, 71 percent of eligible beneficiaries were from India, making up the majority of H-1B visa recipients.
Our position on the H1B visa program in the US
🔗 https://t.co/fkOjHIxEu9 pic. twitter.com/1rM9W3GYqC
The implementation of the H-1B visa fee was a “concern,” according to India’s leading trade body Nasscom earlier on Saturday.
The abrupt rollout of the policy, according to Nasscom, would affect Indian nationals and prevent the country’s technology services firms from continuing to work onshore projects.
A day after US President Donald Trump announced the fee, which starts at the end of the day, “creates considerable uncertainty for businesses, professionals, and students around the world,” Nasscom said in a statement.
Along with the introduction of a $1 million “gold card” US residency program, the new H-1B measure was announced. It will likely face legal challenges.
According to Nasscom, the new policy may have “ripple effects” on the global job markets and the US innovation ecosystem.
According to Nasscom, policy changes of this scale should be best “introduced with adequate transition periods, allowing organizations and individuals to plan effectively and minimize disruption.”
. @sangeetagupta29 @doshikavita @shivendra_1969 @nasscomgtd pic, @RNamb @sangeetagupta29 twitter.com/bSfCjDutjs
On Friday, US officials stated that the H-1B program’s modification would make it possible for businesses to only sponsor employees with the most unusual skill sets. The H-1B system, which was established in 1990 and awards 85, 000 visas annually through a lottery system, will likely be drastically altered by such a prohibitive fee.
H-1B program supporters claim that it gives Americans the best and brightest jobs, giving them an advantage over foreign competitors. Critics have long alleged that businesses have abused the program by using it to demand lower wages and impose fewer labor protections.
Elon Musk, one of Trump’s former allies, has resisted using H-1B visas, saying that the US lacks the necessary domestic talent to fill crucial job openings in the tech sector.
However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that “all the big companies are aboard.”
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, California has the highest number of H-1B workers geographically.
According to some analysts, the fee may lead to the removal of some high-value work overseas, putting the US in danger of losing ground to China, which, at 11% of all H-1B visas, has a distant second place finish.
According to internal emails that the Reuters news agency reviewed, major US tech companies like Microsoft, JPMorgan, and Amazon advised employees holding H-1B visas to stay in the country following the White House’s announcement.
The Trump administration’s most famous attempt to reform the nation’s temporary employment visa system is highlighted by the new fee. He has a broad crackdown on immigration, including efforts to restrict some forms of undocumented immigration, since taking office in January.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s foreign ministry announced on Saturday that its officials would “comprehensitly assess the impact of these measures on the entry of]South Korean] businesses and professional talents into the US market and engage in necessary communication with the US.”
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply