India has reacted to the recent notice from the US Department of Homeland Security regarding proposed changes to the H-1B visa program. The department seeks to replace the current lottery system with a wage-based weighted selection process. Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a steep hike in H-1B Visa fees to $100,000.
Highlighting the importance of skilled talent mobility, the MEA stated it will continue to engage with all relevant parties, including industry stakeholders, over the issue.
“We have seen the notice by the US Department of Homeland Security regarding the proposed rulemaking. I understand that stakeholders including the industry have one month to provide their comments. As we stated earlier, skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the United States and India. We would remain engaged with all concerned including the industry, hoping that these factors receive due consideration,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal said the issue was also taken up by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a meeting with Secretary of State Mark Rubio in New York on 22nd September.
"With regard to H1B,... Ministry and our embassy in Washington, DC, have been in active touch with the US administration... Clarifications and FAQs were issued by the US side after that on how it's going to play out. This is still an evolving situation and we remain engaged at various levels," he said.
Move to affect Indian techies?
On September 19, Trump signed an order in which his administration announced that from September 21, American companies would have to pay $100,000 for each H-1B application. Previously, this fee ranged from $2,000 to $5,000 based on the size of the company applying for the visa. This move is seen as a major setback for Indian professionals who aspire to work in the United States, especially in the fields of technology, engineering and healthcare.
About H-1B visa
The H-1B visa was introduced in 1990 during the presidency of George HW. Bush. Today, Indian tech workers are the largest group receiving the H-1B visa. Last year, Indians received 71 per cent of the total approved H-1B visas, followed by Chinese citizens at 11.7 per cent
