As the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-government-plans-to-stop-work-visa-for-spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-132524">US government gets ready to </a>terminate the H-4 visa for spouses of visa holders who hold the coveted H-1B visa, two US Democratic lawmakers have decided to oppose the move by the Trump administration.

The US Citizenship <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/h1-b-approvals-for-indian-it-companies-dropped-by-43-between-2015-17-report-132720">and Immigration Services(USCIS) chief Francis </a>Cissna had informed a few days ago that the H-4 visas may be terminated this summer. Indians are the majority of H-4 visa holders with 93 per cent, according to a report.

"I will say that the H-4 visas go to women who are just as qualified, sometimes more qualified, than their spouses but haven't been able to work," Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said.

The H-4 visas was started by the Obama administration, a move the Trump government is determined to overturn.

"Our plans include proposing regulatory changes to remove H-4 dependent spouses from the class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation, thereby reversing the 2015 final rule that granted such eligibility," Cissna said in the letter to Senator Chuck Grassley.

Democratic Congressmen Joe Crowley, Ami Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi also joined hands with Jayapal over the H-1B and H4 visa issue.

Trump's party man Republican Senator Thom Tillis backed Congressman Jayapal, asserting that President Trump wants to have an immigration system that "attracts and retains talent in the country".

"The business people that I know in the Indian American community in North Carolina who have gotten American citizenship are extraordinary people. They love this country as much as I do as an American born citizen. They add a richness to our society that is very important," the Republican Senator from North Carolina said.

"The president of the United States has a view that there is a place for legal immigration, work visas and green cards. Because I've heard him say it more than once. What we're trying to do is debate how you actually get to that policy," Tillis added.&nbsp

Trump's party man Republican Senator Thom Tillis backed Congressman Jayapal

As the US government gets ready to terminate the H-4 visa for spouses of visa holders who hold the coveted H-1B visa, two US Democratic lawmakers have decided to oppose the move by the Trump administration. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS) chief Francis Cissna had informed a few days ago that the H-4 visas may be terminated this summer. Indians are the majority of H-4 visa holders with 93 per cent, according to a report. "I will say that the H-4 visas go to women who are just as qualified, sometimes more qualified, than their spouses but haven't been able to work," Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said. The H-4 visas was started by the Obama administration, a move the Trump government is determined to overturn. "Our plans include proposing regulatory changes to remove H-4 dependent spouses from the class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation, thereby reversing the 2015 final rule that granted such eligibility," Cissna said in the letter to Senator Chuck Grassley. Democratic Congressmen Joe Crowley, Ami Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi also joined hands with Jayapal over the H-1B and H4 visa issue. Trump's party man Republican Senator Thom Tillis backed Congressman Jayapal, asserting that President Trump wants to have an immigration system that "attracts and retains talent in the country". "The business people that I know in the Indian American community in North Carolina who have gotten American citizenship are extraordinary people. They love this country as much as I do as an American born citizen. They add a richness to our society that is very important," the Republican Senator from North Carolina said. "The president of the United States has a view that there is a place for legal immigration, work visas and green cards. Because I've heard him say it more than once. What we're trying to do is debate how you actually get to that policy," Tillis added.

H1-B visa row: Democrat Congresswoman, Republican Senator back US visa for spouses

Expressing disappointment over the US government's proposals to tighten H-1B visa norms, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday said he would take up the matter with the Trump administration.

"We are very disappointed by some of the actions by the US administration," the commerce and industry minister told reporters here.&nbsp

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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.&nbsp

Prabhu said under the visas issued to the technology service providers, there is evidence that Indians have contributed significantly to the growth of the US economy. Indian companies' investment into the US has created new jobs in America, he said, adding that if spouses of the Indian IT professionals are competent and qualified, they will only add value to the economy there and not snatch jobs of local people.&nbsp

The Trump administration is planning to end giving work permits to the spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US, a move that could have a devastating impact on tens of thousands of Indians.

"This is a very disappointing development. We have already taken up the issue with the US. We hope to take it forward by other negotiations," Prabhu added.

The Trump administration is planning to end giving work permits to the spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US

Expressing disappointment over the US government's proposals to tighten H-1B visa norms, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday said he would take up the matter with the Trump administration. "We are very disappointed by some of the actions by the US administration," the commerce and industry minister told reporters here. 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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Prabhu said under the visas issued to the technology service providers, there is evidence that Indians have contributed significantly to the growth of the US economy. Indian companies' investment into the US has created new jobs in America, he said, adding that if spouses of the Indian IT professionals are competent and qualified, they will only add value to the economy there and not snatch jobs of local people. The Trump administration is planning to end giving work permits to the spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US, a move that could have a devastating impact on tens of thousands of Indians. "This is a very disappointing development. We have already taken up the issue with the US. We hope to take it forward by other negotiations," Prabhu added.

Will take up H-1B visa issue with US administration: Suresh Prabhu

Indian IT companies have dramatically reduced their H-1B visa filings and foreign nationals are exhibiting reluctance to make the jump to a US company due to the Trump administration's hardline anti-immigration stance, a top Silicon Valley newspaper has said.

San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board has said applicants for the H-1B visa programme are anticipating the hardest process in many years.

"That's affected both the applicants and the companies that employ them," it said.&nbsp

"Indian consulting firms, which have been accused of flooding the system with applications, have dramatically reduced their filings. Foreign nationals are exhibiting new reluctance to make the jump to a US company," the paper said as the process for filing H-1B visa application for the 2019 fiscal beginning October 1, kicked off.

This year the number of H-1B applications received dropped to 1,99,000 from 2,36,000 in 2017.&nbsp

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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.&nbsp

The Trump administration's hard-line anti-immigration stance is taking its toll, the daily said.

Envoy Global, a technology-oriented immigration services provider, reports that 26 per cent of employers it surveyed have had to delay projects, and 22 per cent of them have relocated work overseas as a result of the current uncertainties in the US immigration system, San Francisco Chronicle said.

The daily argued that study after study has shown that foreign-born workers are good for the US economy and good for US-born workers.

"When companies are allowed to hire the workers with the best skills for the job -- regardless of where those workers happen to have been born -- their increased competitiveness boosts all the industries around them," it said.

According to The Wall Street Journal, evidence suggests market demand for H-1B visas is ebbing.

Daniel Culbertson, the economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, says "searches related to the H-1B visa, as a share of all searches on Indeed.com, have consistently declined through 2017 and into 2018. In February 2018, searches for H-1B as a share of all searches on our site are down nine percent from 2017."&nbsp

"This also marks the thirteenth consecutive month of year-over-year declines. The decreased interest in H-1B related work from job seekers is a trend, not a temporary shift in preferences," he added.&nbsp

The Wall Street Journal said corporations continue to struggle with a paradoxical labour market where 548,000 tech jobs remain open while unemployment in the technology sector hovers below full employment levels.

"There are lots of jobs, but not enough workers to fill them," it said.&nbsp

This year the number of H-1B applications received dropped to 1,99,000 from 2,36,000 in 2017.

Indian IT companies have dramatically reduced their H-1B visa filings and foreign nationals are exhibiting reluctance to make the jump to a US company due to the Trump administration's hardline anti-immigration stance, a top Silicon Valley newspaper has said. San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board has said applicants for the H-1B visa programme are anticipating the hardest process in many years. "That's affected both the applicants and the companies that employ them," it said. "Indian consulting firms, which have been accused of flooding the system with applications, have dramatically reduced their filings. Foreign nationals are exhibiting new reluctance to make the jump to a US company," the paper said as the process for filing H-1B visa application for the 2019 fiscal beginning October 1, kicked off. This year the number of H-1B applications received dropped to 1,99,000 from 2,36,000 in 2017. 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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The Trump administration's hard-line anti-immigration stance is taking its toll, the daily said. Envoy Global, a technology-oriented immigration services provider, reports that 26 per cent of employers it surveyed have had to delay projects, and 22 per cent of them have relocated work overseas as a result of the current uncertainties in the US immigration system, San Francisco Chronicle said. The daily argued that study after study has shown that foreign-born workers are good for the US economy and good for US-born workers. "When companies are allowed to hire the workers with the best skills for the job -- regardless of where those workers happen to have been born -- their increased competitiveness boosts all the industries around them," it said. According to The Wall Street Journal, evidence suggests market demand for H-1B visas is ebbing. Daniel Culbertson, the economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, says "searches related to the H-1B visa, as a share of all searches on Indeed.com, have consistently declined through 2017 and into 2018. In February 2018, searches for H-1B as a share of all searches on our site are down nine percent from 2017." "This also marks the thirteenth consecutive month of year-over-year declines. The decreased interest in H-1B related work from job seekers is a trend, not a temporary shift in preferences," he added. The Wall Street Journal said corporations continue to struggle with a paradoxical labour market where 548,000 tech jobs remain open while unemployment in the technology sector hovers below full employment levels. "There are lots of jobs, but not enough workers to fill them," it said.

Indian companies dramatically reduced H-1B visa filing: Report

The H1-B visa applications for the year 2018-19 began on April 2, which have now been called the toughest application process yet.&nbsp;

Zero tolerance

The Trump administration that launched the 'Buy American and Hire American' Executive Order will be scrutinising every application minutely before issuing the most sought-after work visa.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors.&nbsp;

Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it would temporarily suspend the premium processing for the H-1B visa. The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa tougher.&nbsp;

Any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation.&nbsp;

An in-house immigration lawyer at an information technology company says: “Under the US federal law, a single company cannot file multiple H-1B visa applications for the same visa seeker. When a company files an H-1B visa application, another related or affiliated company cannot do so unless there exist two separate job opportunities. These jobs must be clearly distinguishable and supported by additional evidence such as letters from different end clients or for different projects.”

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows the US companies to employ foreign workers in jobs that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on this visa to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China. The H1-B visa has an annual limit of 65,000 each financial year as mandated by the US Congress, their house of parliament.

Spouse applications

Spouses of the H1-B visa holders get the H4 visa currently, which doesn’t allow them to work or run a business until they obtain an employment authorisation document (EAD).

However, not all dependent spouses of the H1-B visa holders are eligible to apply for an EAD. This route is available only to the H1-B visa recipients on track for a Green Card. Hence, many foreign professionals are exploring the option of becoming a permanent resident of the US.

<img alt="h1b-visa-cap-update2013.png" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="415" src="https://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/h1b-visa-cap-update2013.png" width="700" />

Application limit

The H-1B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each year. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master's degree or higher are exempted from the cap.

USCIS said that it will reject H-1B petitions requesting an earlier employment start date or a start date of 'As Soon As Possible' or 'ASAP'.

Immigration experts say that the DHS (the United States Department of Homeland Security) handles 30,000-odd applications for employment authorisation each year, in addition to the requests for renewal. The Trump administration’s draft proposal in June will be the first step towards ending the mechanism of granting this authorisation.

Amandeep Kaur, a software professional from Chandigarh, who works in Accenture, says: “It sure is good news for those working in the US. Ever since the likelihood of sending families back came into limelight, professionals were in a dilemma about going to the United States. And they were not only IT professionals but also many others who use the H-1B visa.”

Successful applications

If the applicant is seeking an extension of stay or change of status, he or she should include evidence to establish that the beneficiary will maintain a valid non-immigrant status through the employment start date being requested, USCIS said in its filing tips.

When the successful applicant appears before the American diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates for a formal visa interview and stamping on their passport, they would have to be ready with details of the social media profile, emails and phone numbers of the last five years.

Ahead of the H-1B visa filing process, USCIS said this work visa should help US companies recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country.&nbsp;

H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals

The H1-B visa applications for the year 2018-19 began on April 2, which have now been called the toughest application process yet. Zero tolerance The Trump administration that launched the 'Buy American and Hire American' Executive Order will be scrutinising every application minutely before issuing the most sought-after work visa. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors. Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it would temporarily suspend the premium processing for the H-1B visa. The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa tougher. Any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation. An in-house immigration lawyer at an information technology company says: “Under the US federal law, a single company cannot file multiple H-1B visa applications for the same visa seeker. When a company files an H-1B visa application, another related or affiliated company cannot do so unless there exist two separate job opportunities. These jobs must be clearly distinguishable and supported by additional evidence such as letters from different end clients or for different projects.” The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows the US companies to employ foreign workers in jobs that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on this visa to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China. The H1-B visa has an annual limit of 65,000 each financial year as mandated by the US Congress, their house of parliament. Spouse applications Spouses of the H1-B visa holders get the H4 visa currently, which doesn’t allow them to work or run a business until they obtain an employment authorisation document (EAD). However, not all dependent spouses of the H1-B visa holders are eligible to apply for an EAD. This route is available only to the H1-B visa recipients on track for a Green Card. Hence, many foreign professionals are exploring the option of becoming a permanent resident of the US. Application limit The H-1B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each year. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master's degree or higher are exempted from the cap. USCIS said that it will reject H-1B petitions requesting an earlier employment start date or a start date of 'As Soon As Possible' or 'ASAP'. Immigration experts say that the DHS (the United States Department of Homeland Security) handles 30,000-odd applications for employment authorisation each year, in addition to the requests for renewal. The Trump administration’s draft proposal in June will be the first step towards ending the mechanism of granting this authorisation. Amandeep Kaur, a software professional from Chandigarh, who works in Accenture, says: “It sure is good news for those working in the US. Ever since the likelihood of sending families back came into limelight, professionals were in a dilemma about going to the United States. And they were not only IT professionals but also many others who use the H-1B visa.” Successful applications If the applicant is seeking an extension of stay or change of status, he or she should include evidence to establish that the beneficiary will maintain a valid non-immigrant status through the employment start date being requested, USCIS said in its filing tips. When the successful applicant appears before the American diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates for a formal visa interview and stamping on their passport, they would have to be ready with details of the social media profile, emails and phone numbers of the last five years. Ahead of the H-1B visa filing process, USCIS said this work visa should help US companies recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country.

Everything you need to know about the H1-B visa

Washington DC: The process of filing petitions for H-1B visa has begun amidst unprecedented scrutiny by United States President Donald Trump`s administration.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors.

H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals.

It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it will temporarily suspended the premium processing for the H-1B visa."The USCIS will begin accepting applications for the fiscal year 2019 (October 2018 to September 2019) from April 2.

The suspension will last until September 10,&nbsp;the body had said "This temporary suspension will help us reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years," the USCIS added.

The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa more tougher.

As per the new policy, any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation.

The updated policy is a part of Trump`s "Buy American and Hire American" Executive Order, which directs to protect the interests of US workers.

According to the US administration officials, the scrutiny is needed to ensure the integrity of the controversial visa programme, which according to critics has cost American jobs.

It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise

Washington DC: The process of filing petitions for H-1B visa has begun amidst unprecedented scrutiny by United States President Donald Trump`s administration. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors. H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it will temporarily suspended the premium processing for the H-1B visa."The USCIS will begin accepting applications for the fiscal year 2019 (October 2018 to September 2019) from April 2. The suspension will last until September 10, the body had said "This temporary suspension will help us reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years," the USCIS added. The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa more tougher. As per the new policy, any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation. The updated policy is a part of Trump`s "Buy American and Hire American" Executive Order, which directs to protect the interests of US workers. According to the US administration officials, the scrutiny is needed to ensure the integrity of the controversial visa programme, which according to critics has cost American jobs.

Toughest-ever H-1B visa application process begins amid unprecedented scrutiny

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/h-1b-application-process-to-begin-tomorrow-us-to-reject-multiple-filings-for-similar-visa-seeker-127676">H-1B application process to begin tomorrow </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/h-1b-application-process-to-begin-tomorrow-us-to-reject-multiple-filings-for-similar-visa-seeker-127676">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/h-1b-application-process-to-begin-tomorrow-us-to-reject-multiple-filings-for-similar-visa-seeker-127676"> to reject multiple filings for similar visa-seeker</a>

The process of filing petitions for H-1B, considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly skilled Indian professionals, begins tomorrow amidst unprecedented scrutiny by the Trump Administration.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-says-it-has-lost-contact-with-its-communications-satellite-gsat-6a-127601">ISRO says it has lost contact with its communications satellite GSAT-6A</a>

ISRO has said that it has lost communictions links with its GSAT-6A satellite.&nbsp

The GSAT-6A had been launched on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) on Thursday.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-rejects-calls-for-independent-probe-of-gaza-violence-127662">Israel rejects calls for independent probe of Gaza violence</a>

Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/people-around-the-world-celebrate-holy-festival-of-easter-127653#photo-127631">People around the world celebrate holy festival of Easter</a>

Christians in different parts of the world gathered together on Sunday as they attended the holy mass on Easter, the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter festival begins on Good Friday and culminates when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, three days after being crucified. During the holy week, devotees observe a 40-day fasting ritual where they avoid having meat and alcohol.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-arrests-five-police-officials-over-deadly-jail-disaster-127620">Venezuela arrests five police officials over deadly jail disaster</a>

Venezuela arrested five state police officials for their alleged role in a riot and fire that killed 68 people in an overcrowded police station cell, the country's public prosecutor said on Saturday.

H-1B application process to begin tomorrow US to reject multiple filings for similar visa-seeker The process of filing petitions for H-1B, considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly skilled Indian professionals, begins tomorrow amidst unprecedented scrutiny by the Trump Administration. ISRO says it has lost contact with its communications satellite GSAT-6A ISRO has said that it has lost communictions links with its GSAT-6A satellite. The GSAT-6A had been launched on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) on Thursday. Israel rejects calls for independent probe of Gaza violence Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip. People around the world celebrate holy festival of Easter Christians in different parts of the world gathered together on Sunday as they attended the holy mass on Easter, the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter festival begins on Good Friday and culminates when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, three days after being crucified. During the holy week, devotees observe a 40-day fasting ritual where they avoid having meat and alcohol. Venezuela arrests five police officials over deadly jail disaster Venezuela arrested five state police officials for their alleged role in a riot and fire that killed 68 people in an overcrowded police station cell, the country's public prosecutor said on Saturday.

WION evening news brief, April 1, 2018

The US will continue to be a country of immigrants and that will not change, newly- appointed American envoy Kenneth Juster said today while asserting that the ongoing review of visas, including the H-1B category, was only for &quot;refinements&quot;.

Juster&#39;s comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians. The US government, however, has denied these reports.

&quot;We have 4 million Indian-Americans in the US. So we are country of immigrants and that&#39;s what helped drive our economy and growth and made us where we are and that&#39;s not going to change,&quot; he said while delivering his first policy speech since taking over as ambassador.

He added that the US is looking at how various categories of visas are working and whether they need refinements.

&quot;We take more immigrants than any other country in the world,&quot; he added.

Every year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas to highly skilled applicants, including roughly 70 per cent for Indians, seeking employment and educational opportunities.

According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of privately-held companies worth USD 1 billion or more in the US had at least one immigrant founder, with many entering America on an H-1B visa, including the CEOs of both Microsoft and Google.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remains engaged with the Trump administration as well as the Congress on the H-1B visa issue.

&quot;We have shared our concerns to the US side. We have told them that this is a mutually beneficial partnership which should be nurtured and supported,&quot; he said.

Kumar said India continued to closely monitor the developments relating to the issue, adding that alarmist projections on possible difficulties to Indian professionals have been laid to rest by the Department of Homeland Security in the US.

Juster's comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians

The US will continue to be a country of immigrants and that will not change, newly- appointed American envoy Kenneth Juster said today while asserting that the ongoing review of visas, including the H-1B category, was only for "refinements". Juster's comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians. The US government, however, has denied these reports. "We have 4 million Indian-Americans in the US. So we are country of immigrants and that's what helped drive our economy and growth and made us where we are and that's not going to change," he said while delivering his first policy speech since taking over as ambassador. He added that the US is looking at how various categories of visas are working and whether they need refinements. "We take more immigrants than any other country in the world," he added. Every year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas to highly skilled applicants, including roughly 70 per cent for Indians, seeking employment and educational opportunities. According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of privately-held companies worth USD 1 billion or more in the US had at least one immigrant founder, with many entering America on an H-1B visa, including the CEOs of both Microsoft and Google. Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remains engaged with the Trump administration as well as the Congress on the H-1B visa issue. "We have shared our concerns to the US side. We have told them that this is a mutually beneficial partnership which should be nurtured and supported," he said. Kumar said India continued to closely monitor the developments relating to the issue, adding that alarmist projections on possible difficulties to Indian professionals have been laid to rest by the Department of Homeland Security in the US.

US will continue to be a country of immigrants: Juster

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-issues-new-rules-on-us-visa-waivers-26883" target="_blank">Trump administration</a> is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country.&nbsp;

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-may-revoke-rule-allowing-spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-to-work-in-the-united-states-26905" target="_blank">Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules</a> that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians.&nbsp;

The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders.&nbsp;

The USCIS &quot;is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions,&quot; an official said.&nbsp;

This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit.&nbsp;

&quot;Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead,&quot; Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the President&#39;s Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programmes,&quot; Withington said.&nbsp;

The statement comes after last week&#39;s news report by US-based news agency McClatchy DC Bureau according to which the US was considering new regulations to prevent the extension of H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The USCIS was never considering such a policy change, he said adding that &quot;any suggestion that USCIS changed its position because of pressure is absolutely false.&quot;&nbsp;

The reported move had been opposed by both the industry and several lawmakers.&nbsp;

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association of Indian information technology, had warned that any disruptive move on the visa front would be detrimental for both India and the US.

The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H- 1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education -- masters and above -- from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.&nbsp;

The H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.&nbsp;

Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa scheme.&nbsp;

During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevent its abuse.&nbsp;

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the Trump administration is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country. The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians. The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders. The USCIS "is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions," an official said. This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit. "Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead," Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement. "The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the President's Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programmes," Withington said. The statement comes after last week's news report by US-based news agency McClatchy DC Bureau according to which the US was considering new regulations to prevent the extension of H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals. The USCIS was never considering such a policy change, he said adding that "any suggestion that USCIS changed its position because of pressure is absolutely false." The reported move had been opposed by both the industry and several lawmakers. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association of Indian information technology, had warned that any disruptive move on the visa front would be detrimental for both India and the US. The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H- 1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education -- masters and above -- from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers. Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa scheme. During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevent its abuse.

Relief for Indian techies, US says no change in H-1B extension policy

The Trump administration is considering introducing a proposal that will restrict&nbsp;extension of H-1B visa.&nbsp;

The initiative by the public security department of US aims to further President&#39;s &quot;Buy America, Hire America&quot; drive.&nbsp;

The move is likely to affect thousands of Indians working in the country on&nbsp;H-1B visa.&nbsp;The&nbsp;proposal will prevent foreign immigrants without Green Card from working in the US.&nbsp;

Currently, the immigrants get an extension of over&nbsp;two or three years even if their Green Card is pending. Once the proposal&nbsp;gets approved, about 500,000 to 750,000 Indians working on H-1B visa may have to be deported from the US.&nbsp;

&quot;The idea is to create a sort of &#39;self- deportation&#39; of hundreds of thousands of Indian tech workers in the United States to open up those jobs for Americans,&quot; said a US source briefed by Homeland Security officials as reported by McClatchy DC Bureau. 
 
The proposal has been initiated by the Department of Homeland Security, the public security department of US.

The proposal has been&nbsp;passed by the House Judiciary Committee and is now awaiting to be cleared by the&nbsp;US Senate.&nbsp;

According to an estimated figure, about 70 per cent of these visas&nbsp;is given to Indians.The program allows immigrants to work despite having pending Green Card. It has recently received huge criticism from &nbsp;American workers as they&nbsp;claim that the visa abuses their job opportunities.

The initiative taken by the public security department of US aims to further President's 'Buy America, Hire America' drive

The Trump administration is considering introducing a proposal that will restrict extension of H-1B visa. The initiative by the public security department of US aims to further President's "Buy America, Hire America" drive. The move is likely to affect thousands of Indians working in the country on H-1B visa. The proposal will prevent foreign immigrants without Green Card from working in the US. Currently, the immigrants get an extension of over two or three years even if their Green Card is pending. Once the proposal gets approved, about 500,000 to 750,000 Indians working on H-1B visa may have to be deported from the US. "The idea is to create a sort of 'self- deportation' of hundreds of thousands of Indian tech workers in the United States to open up those jobs for Americans," said a US source briefed by Homeland Security officials as reported by McClatchy DC Bureau. The proposal has been initiated by the Department of Homeland Security, the public security department of US. The proposal has been passed by the House Judiciary Committee and is now awaiting to be cleared by the US Senate. According to an estimated figure, about 70 per cent of these visas is given to Indians.The program allows immigrants to work despite having pending Green Card. It has recently received huge criticism from American workers as they claim that the visa abuses their job opportunities.

New H-1B visa proposal may lead to deportation of Indians

Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

As per rules by former President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, spouses of H-1B visa holders - while waiting for their green card - had been permitted to work in the US on H-4 dependent visas.&nbsp;

According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday.&nbsp;

&quot;DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation,&quot; said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a latest regulation.

According to the notice, the changes are being made in light of President Trump&#39;s &#39;Buy American and Hire American&#39; order issued earlier this year.

Also&nbsp;Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-makes-it-more-difficult-for-h-1b-visa-extension-22885" target="_blank">Trump administration makes it more difficult to extend H-1B visas</a>

The statement also mentioned ways to review the definition of the different occupations that may be eligible for the program &quot;to increase focus on truly obtaining the best and brightest foreign nationals.&quot;

&quot;This announcement places into jeopardy thousands of hardworking, contributing individuals who have started their own businesses and often have US citizen children who will needlessly be forced to revert to a status of inactivity,&quot; Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney who worked for the Obama administration, told the daily.

Trump administration&#39;s decision to revamp the H-1B program has lead to a stir in India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers.

As per media reports, this rule could potentially reduce the number of highly-skilled workers in the US.&nbsp;

It&#39;s a program that&#39;s mostly popular in the tech community, with many engineers vying for one of the programme&#39;s 85,000 visas each year.

According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday

Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday. As per rules by former President Barack Obama's administration, spouses of H-1B visa holders - while waiting for their green card - had been permitted to work in the US on H-4 dependent visas. According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday. "DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation," said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a latest regulation. According to the notice, the changes are being made in light of President Trump's 'Buy American and Hire American' order issued earlier this year. Also Read: Trump administration makes it more difficult to extend H-1B visas The statement also mentioned ways to review the definition of the different occupations that may be eligible for the program "to increase focus on truly obtaining the best and brightest foreign nationals." "This announcement places into jeopardy thousands of hardworking, contributing individuals who have started their own businesses and often have US citizen children who will needlessly be forced to revert to a status of inactivity," Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney who worked for the Obama administration, told the daily. Trump administration's decision to revamp the H-1B program has lead to a stir in India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers. As per media reports, this rule could potentially reduce the number of highly-skilled workers in the US. It's a program that's mostly popular in the tech community, with many engineers vying for one of the programme's 85,000 visas each year.

Trump administration may revoke rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in United States

A key Congressional committee has voted to pass a legislation that proposes to increase the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders from $60,000 to $90,000 and imposes a number of restriction on the work visa popular among IT professionals from India.

The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act (HR 170) introduced by Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa - was passed by the House Judiciary Committee during a markup hearing today morning.

The bill now heads to the full House for necessary action.

A similar version of the bill needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for the US President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

Given the sharp differences that the Democratic and Republican lawmakers and the White House have on various aspects of immigration reform including H-1B, the Congressional passage of the bill and it&#39;s becoming a law as of now appears to be a tall order.

The bill prohibits H-1B dependent employers from replacing American workers with H-1B employees, there are no longer any exceptions.

It also lengthens the no-layoff policy for H-1B dependent employers and their client companies for as long an H-1B employee works at the company, which means they cannot layoff equivalent US workers.

For H-1B dependent employers to be exempted from the requirement that US workers be recruited first, the Protect and Grow American Jobs Act dramatically increases the salary requirements for H-1B workers.

&quot;They must pay the lower of $135,000which is indexed for inflation or the average wage for the occupation in the area of employment, but with a floor of $90,000,&quot; said a media release issued by the House Judiciary Committee.

NASSCOM president R Chandrashekhar in a statement said that HR 170, as adopted by House Judiciary Committee, would harm US businesses and impose an extraordinary amount of bureaucratic red tape on a programme that contributes greatly to US prosperity.

&quot;It also could disrupt the marketplace, threaten thousands of US jobs, and stifle US innovation by unfairly and arbitrarily targeting a handful of companies who used just 16 per cent of the new H-1B visas in FY 2016 while imposing no new requirements on the vast majority of companies that use the visas to do the same exact same things,&quot; Chandrashekhar said.

Defending the passage of the bill, Congressman Issa said lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that H-1B is not abused by those misusing it to outsource jobs and undercut American workers.

&quot;Unfortunately, the loopholes left open in H-1B have allowed a small handful of companies to game the system and crowd out employers who need the limited slots available to bring in the best and brightest individuals from around the world,&quot; he said.

&quot;The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act is a common-sense update that will go a long way to protecting American workers while helping companies have better access to the talent they need to grow their businesses and create new jobs here in America,&quot; Issa said.

Congressman Bon Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the immigration programmes must put American workers and nation&#39;s interests first, and &quot;unfortunately&quot; that is not the case currently with the H-1B visa programme.

&nbsp; &quot;The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act makes much-needed reforms to the H-1B programme to curtail abuse of the system and protect American workers,&quot; he said.

NASSCOM strongly disagrees with the US lawmakers.

&quot;Unfortunately, this legislation is being driven by myths, not reality. US government data show very significant shortages of high skill talent around the country. The data show that the high skill visa programmes are not a major cause of US unemployment, and IT specialists working on temporary visas are not cheap labor,&quot; said Chandrashekhar.

According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, across the US economy, approximately 20 million people per year lose their jobs due to reasons not linked to hiring H-1B employees.

Compared to that, the annual number of H-1Bs granted to the top 10 India-centric IT service companies in 2016 was only a tiny fraction of the US workforce, he said.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, based on fiscal 2016 data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, for eight of the top 10 India-centric IT companies, the average salary for workers on H-1B visas was higher than the median salary for US citizens in computer and mathematical jobs, Chandrashekhar argued.

&quot;Employers who use the H-1B programme are highly regulated and scrutinized already, and NASSCOM member companies abide by all applicable laws and regulations.

&quot;According to the US government, the rate of compliance problems is very low, and the overwhelming majority of problems occur at American companies with fewer than 50 employees,&quot; he said.

Chandrashekhar said NASSCOM continues to support efforts to root out any fraud or abuse in the H-1B system.

&quot;Quite simply, our members do not deserve to be treated differently from their American or European counterparts,&quot; he said.

Legislation also proposes some restrictions on the work visa

A key Congressional committee has voted to pass a legislation that proposes to increase the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders from $60,000 to $90,000 and imposes a number of restriction on the work visa popular among IT professionals from India. The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act (HR 170) introduced by Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa - was passed by the House Judiciary Committee during a markup hearing today morning. The bill now heads to the full House for necessary action. A similar version of the bill needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for the US President Donald Trump to be signed into law. Given the sharp differences that the Democratic and Republican lawmakers and the White House have on various aspects of immigration reform including H-1B, the Congressional passage of the bill and it's becoming a law as of now appears to be a tall order. The bill prohibits H-1B dependent employers from replacing American workers with H-1B employees, there are no longer any exceptions. It also lengthens the no-layoff policy for H-1B dependent employers and their client companies for as long an H-1B employee works at the company, which means they cannot layoff equivalent US workers. For H-1B dependent employers to be exempted from the requirement that US workers be recruited first, the Protect and Grow American Jobs Act dramatically increases the salary requirements for H-1B workers. "They must pay the lower of $135,000which is indexed for inflation or the average wage for the occupation in the area of employment, but with a floor of $90,000," said a media release issued by the House Judiciary Committee. NASSCOM president R Chandrashekhar in a statement said that HR 170, as adopted by House Judiciary Committee, would harm US businesses and impose an extraordinary amount of bureaucratic red tape on a programme that contributes greatly to US prosperity. "It also could disrupt the marketplace, threaten thousands of US jobs, and stifle US innovation by unfairly and arbitrarily targeting a handful of companies who used just 16 per cent of the new H-1B visas in FY 2016 while imposing no new requirements on the vast majority of companies that use the visas to do the same exact same things," Chandrashekhar said. Defending the passage of the bill, Congressman Issa said lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that H-1B is not abused by those misusing it to outsource jobs and undercut American workers. "Unfortunately, the loopholes left open in H-1B have allowed a small handful of companies to game the system and crowd out employers who need the limited slots available to bring in the best and brightest individuals from around the world," he said. "The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act is a common-sense update that will go a long way to protecting American workers while helping companies have better access to the talent they need to grow their businesses and create new jobs here in America," Issa said. Congressman Bon Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the immigration programmes must put American workers and nation's interests first, and "unfortunately" that is not the case currently with the H-1B visa programme. "The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act makes much-needed reforms to the H-1B programme to curtail abuse of the system and protect American workers," he said. NASSCOM strongly disagrees with the US lawmakers. "Unfortunately, this legislation is being driven by myths, not reality. US government data show very significant shortages of high skill talent around the country. The data show that the high skill visa programmes are not a major cause of US unemployment, and IT specialists working on temporary visas are not cheap labor," said Chandrashekhar. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, across the US economy, approximately 20 million people per year lose their jobs due to reasons not linked to hiring H-1B employees. Compared to that, the annual number of H-1Bs granted to the top 10 India-centric IT service companies in 2016 was only a tiny fraction of the US workforce, he said. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, based on fiscal 2016 data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, for eight of the top 10 India-centric IT companies, the average salary for workers on H-1B visas was higher than the median salary for US citizens in computer and mathematical jobs, Chandrashekhar argued. "Employers who use the H-1B programme are highly regulated and scrutinized already, and NASSCOM member companies abide by all applicable laws and regulations. "According to the US government, the rate of compliance problems is very low, and the overwhelming majority of problems occur at American companies with fewer than 50 employees," he said. Chandrashekhar said NASSCOM continues to support efforts to root out any fraud or abuse in the H-1B system. "Quite simply, our members do not deserve to be treated differently from their American or European counterparts," he said.

US panel votes to hike pay of H-1B visa holders

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas popular among Indian IT professionals.

Premium processing of H-1B visa was suspended in April to handle huge rush of new petitions. In September, the country opened up some categories of the H-1B visas for the fast processing.

&quot;Premium processing is now available for all types of H- 1B petitions,&quot; US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said yesterday.

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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.

As mandated by the Congress every year USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas and 20,000 to those who have earned a higher education in STEM subjects from a US higher educational institution.

H-1B visas to several categories like those in academic and research institutes are exempted from the Congressional mandated limit.

When a petitioner requests the agency&#39;s premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-calendar day processing time.

If that time is not met, the agency will refund the petitioner&#39;s premium processing service fee and continue with the expedited processing of the application.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Juster, nominee for US Ambassador to India, during his confirmation hearing said that H-1B visa has been an important part of the India-US relationship and there is a consensus that it should be corrected to high-quality jobs.

&quot;I think there is a consensus that it (H-1B) should be corrected to high-quality jobs. I think that message from my understanding is being heard in India as well in the United States,&quot; Juster told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

&quot;However, actual details on what will be the final policy on H-1B remains to be determined. So I&#39;m not really in a position to represent the administration on where they are&nbsp;Juster said when asked about his position on H-1B visas by Senator Chris Coons.

The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy as it thinks that the visa is being misused by companies to replace American workers.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj raised the visa issue with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when the two leaders met in New York last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

&nbsp;

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas popular among Indian IT professionals. Premium processing of H-1B visa was suspended in April to handle huge rush of new petitions. In September, the country opened up some categories of the H-1B visas for the fast processing. "Premium processing is now available for all types of H- 1B petitions," US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said yesterday. 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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. As mandated by the Congress every year USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas and 20,000 to those who have earned a higher education in STEM subjects from a US higher educational institution. H-1B visas to several categories like those in academic and research institutes are exempted from the Congressional mandated limit. When a petitioner requests the agency's premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-calendar day processing time. If that time is not met, the agency will refund the petitioner's premium processing service fee and continue with the expedited processing of the application. Meanwhile, Kenneth Juster, nominee for US Ambassador to India, during his confirmation hearing said that H-1B visa has been an important part of the India-US relationship and there is a consensus that it should be corrected to high-quality jobs. "I think there is a consensus that it (H-1B) should be corrected to high-quality jobs. I think that message from my understanding is being heard in India as well in the United States," Juster told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "However, actual details on what will be the final policy on H-1B remains to be determined. So I'm not really in a position to represent the administration on where they are Juster said when asked about his position on H-1B visas by Senator Chris Coons. The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy as it thinks that the visa is being misused by companies to replace American workers. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj raised the visa issue with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when the two leaders met in New York last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

US resumes premium processing of all H-1B visa categories

The US has accused top Indian IT firms TCS and Infosys of unfairly cornering the lion&#39;s share of H-1B visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system, which the Trump administration wants to replace with a more merit-based immigration policy.

At a White House briefing last week, an official in the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw.

&quot;You may know their names well, but like the top recipients of the H-1B visa are companies like Tata, Infosys, Cognizant -- they will apply for a very large number of visas, more than they get, by putting extra tickets in the lottery raffle, if you will, and then they&#39;ll get the lion&#39;s share of visas,&quot; the senior official said, according to transcript of the briefing posted on White House website.

Responding to a follow-up on why Indian companies were singled out for a mention, the White House response said Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Cognizant were the top three recipients of H-1B visas.

&quot;And those three companies are companies that have an average wage for H-1B visas between USD 60,000 and USD 65,000 (a year). By contrast, the median Silicon Valley software engineer&#39;s wage is probably around USD 150,000,&quot; the official said.

He said contracting firms that are not skills employers, who oftentimes use workers for entry-level positions, capture the lion&#39;s share of H-1B visas. &quot;And that&#39;s all public record.&quot;

All the three Indian firms refused to comment on the US administration comment.

The official said H-1B visas presently were awarded through random lottery with about 80 per cent of H-1B workers being paid less than the median wage in their fields.

&quot;Only about 5 to 6 per cent, depending on the year, of H-1B workers command the highest wage tier recognised by the Department of Labour, there being four wage tiers. And the highest wage tier, for instance, in 2015, was only 5 per cent of H1B workers,&quot; he said.

He said workers are often brought in well below market rates to replace American workers, again, sort of violating the principle of the programme, which is supposed to be a means for bringing in skilled labour.

&quot;Instead you&#39;re bringing in a lot of times workers who are actually less skilled and lower paid than the workers that they&#39;re replacing,&quot; he said.

So if the current system that awards visas randomly without regard for skill or wage is changed to a skills-based awarding, it would make it extremely difficult to use the visa to replace or undercut American workers, he said.

&quot;Because you&#39;re not bringing in workers at beneath the market wage. And so it&#39;s a very elegant way of solving very systemic problems in the H-1B guest worker visa,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

An official in the Trump administration said they unfairly corner the lion's share of visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system

The US has accused top Indian IT firms TCS and Infosys of unfairly cornering the lion's share of H-1B visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system, which the Trump administration wants to replace with a more merit-based immigration policy. At a White House briefing last week, an official in the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw. "You may know their names well, but like the top recipients of the H-1B visa are companies like Tata, Infosys, Cognizant -- they will apply for a very large number of visas, more than they get, by putting extra tickets in the lottery raffle, if you will, and then they'll get the lion's share of visas," the senior official said, according to transcript of the briefing posted on White House website. Responding to a follow-up on why Indian companies were singled out for a mention, the White House response said Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Cognizant were the top three recipients of H-1B visas. "And those three companies are companies that have an average wage for H-1B visas between USD 60,000 and USD 65,000 (a year). By contrast, the median Silicon Valley software engineer's wage is probably around USD 150,000," the official said. He said contracting firms that are not skills employers, who oftentimes use workers for entry-level positions, capture the lion's share of H-1B visas. "And that's all public record." All the three Indian firms refused to comment on the US administration comment. The official said H-1B visas presently were awarded through random lottery with about 80 per cent of H-1B workers being paid less than the median wage in their fields. "Only about 5 to 6 per cent, depending on the year, of H-1B workers command the highest wage tier recognised by the Department of Labour, there being four wage tiers. And the highest wage tier, for instance, in 2015, was only 5 per cent of H1B workers," he said. He said workers are often brought in well below market rates to replace American workers, again, sort of violating the principle of the programme, which is supposed to be a means for bringing in skilled labour. "Instead you're bringing in a lot of times workers who are actually less skilled and lower paid than the workers that they're replacing," he said. So if the current system that awards visas randomly without regard for skill or wage is changed to a skills-based awarding, it would make it extremely difficult to use the visa to replace or undercut American workers, he said. "Because you're not bringing in workers at beneath the market wage. And so it's a very elegant way of solving very systemic problems in the H-1B guest worker visa," he said. (PTI)

US accuses top Indian IT firms TCS, Infosys of violating H-1B visa norms

For Grishma, an Indian software designer, President Donald Trump&#39;s review of the visa programme for bringing highly skilled workers into the United States comes at a bad time.

Fresh from gaining a master&#39;s degree in Europe, and with an offer of employment from a well-known US design firm, she was well on her way to fulfilling the ambition of many young Indian IT workers -- a dream job in America.

But as she waits in the H-1B visa queue for the green light, she is caught in a bind.

&quot;It&#39;s a weird time to be applying, with all the scrutiny,&quot; said Grishma, who gave only her first name for fear of jeopardising her chances of getting a visa.

The United States has already suspended the &quot;expedited processing option&quot; for applicants, under which she may have received a visa in weeks.

More broadly, uncertainty over the review announced this week has unsettled Grishma and many others like her.

She will have to wait until at least around August to learn her fate, but having accepted the US&nbsp;job offer she is not in a position to apply for positions elsewhere, including in Europe.

&quot;It&#39;s pretty debilitating,&quot; Grishma told Reuters. &quot;I&#39;d like to start work to mitigate the financial damage.&quot;

Trump&#39;s decision was not a huge surprise, given his election campaign pledge to put American jobs first.

But the executive order he signed, though vague in many areas, has prompted thousands of foreign workers already in the United States or applying for visas to work there to re-think their plans. Companies who send them also face huge uncertainty.

The concerns are particularly acute in India, where IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, using it to send computer engineers to service clients in the United States, their largest overseas market.

Companies and staff realign

Experts say Trump&#39;s order to review visa processes is aimed at firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro, which from 2005-14 snagged around 86,000 H-1B visas, roughly equivalent to the number of H-1B visas the United States issues in total each year.

Two industry sources said Infosys, India&#39;s No&nbsp;2 information technology (IT) services company, is applying for just under 1,000 H-1B visas this year, which one of the sources said was down from 6,500 applications in 2016 and some 9,000 in 2015.

It was not clear whether the sharp reduction in 2017 was in direct response to Trump&#39;s presidency, although the company has said for some time it wanted to cut dependence on &quot;fly-in&quot; staff.

TCS, Infosys and Wipro said they would not share data on the number of H-1B visas they had applied for this year.

With fewer visas going to Infosys, more might become available for smaller IT companies and big US&nbsp;tech companies, like Facebook and Microsoft Corp, that typically send in fewer H-1B applications each year.

US-based immigration lawyer Murali Bashyam, managing partner of Bashyam Spiro LLP which advises and works with small to mid-sized Indian IT firms, said clients had been in contact seeking clarity, while the number of visa applicants had fallen.

&quot;I think the reason for that is they get the sense that it&#39;s going to get so much tougher to comply with all of the changes ... that it might not be worth their money,&quot; he said.

&quot;There is a fear that radical immigration changes are coming, and if those radical immigration changes come then it could completely change the way IT staffing companies do business.&quot;

Bashyam said the number of people on H-1B visas already working in the United States who were considering returning to their home country had risen.

An engineer working at Cisco, who has been in the United States since 2011, said that three months ago he would not have considered returning to India.

But the review of the visa system, and any rule change that revoked the right for his wife to work in the United States on a dependent visa, could force him to change his mind.

&quot;If that happens, then I would definitely be interested in going back to India. Even though I&#39;m secure, I don&#39;t want to be in a situation where my wife cannot work,&quot; said the engineer, who declined to be named.

&quot;Those who have heavily invested here, who&#39;ve bought houses, property and are still on visas, are afraid.&quot;

&#39;I&#39;m looking eastward&#39;

According to Bashyam, some Indians on H-1B visas were cancelling plans to return home to visit their families in case they had problems getting back into the United States.

&quot;With everything that&#39;s going on, travelling outside the U.S. is the biggest fear for a lot of the H-1B workers working in the IT staffing industry,&quot; he said.

And the uncertainty is not limited to IT.

Trump&#39;s campaign rhetoric around tighter visa rules has led some Indian students considering studying abroad to look beyond the United States, which typically draws in over 100,000 Indian students annually.

One Canadian official said the number of student visa applications for certain courses in Canada had spiked over 250 per cent since Trump&#39;s election win in November.

Akshay Baliga, a management consultant with a H-1B visa that is valid until 2018, said he was not considering returning to the United States for work any time soon.

&quot;As a professional I&#39;m looking eastward,&quot; said Baliga, now based in India but who earlier studied and lived for years in America.

(Reuters)

The concerns are particularly acute in India, where IT firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme

For Grishma, an Indian software designer, President Donald Trump's review of the visa programme for bringing highly skilled workers into the United States comes at a bad time. Fresh from gaining a master's degree in Europe, and with an offer of employment from a well-known US design firm, she was well on her way to fulfilling the ambition of many young Indian IT workers -- a dream job in America. But as she waits in the H-1B visa queue for the green light, she is caught in a bind. "It's a weird time to be applying, with all the scrutiny," said Grishma, who gave only her first name for fear of jeopardising her chances of getting a visa. The United States has already suspended the "expedited processing option" for applicants, under which she may have received a visa in weeks. More broadly, uncertainty over the review announced this week has unsettled Grishma and many others like her. She will have to wait until at least around August to learn her fate, but having accepted the US job offer she is not in a position to apply for positions elsewhere, including in Europe. "It's pretty debilitating," Grishma told Reuters. "I'd like to start work to mitigate the financial damage." Trump's decision was not a huge surprise, given his election campaign pledge to put American jobs first. But the executive order he signed, though vague in many areas, has prompted thousands of foreign workers already in the United States or applying for visas to work there to re-think their plans. Companies who send them also face huge uncertainty. The concerns are particularly acute in India, where IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, using it to send computer engineers to service clients in the United States, their largest overseas market. Companies and staff realign Experts say Trump's order to review visa processes is aimed at firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro, which from 2005-14 snagged around 86,000 H-1B visas, roughly equivalent to the number of H-1B visas the United States issues in total each year. Two industry sources said Infosys, India's No 2 information technology (IT) services company, is applying for just under 1,000 H-1B visas this year, which one of the sources said was down from 6,500 applications in 2016 and some 9,000 in 2015. It was not clear whether the sharp reduction in 2017 was in direct response to Trump's presidency, although the company has said for some time it wanted to cut dependence on "fly-in" staff. TCS, Infosys and Wipro said they would not share data on the number of H-1B visas they had applied for this year. With fewer visas going to Infosys, more might become available for smaller IT companies and big US tech companies, like Facebook and Microsoft Corp, that typically send in fewer H-1B applications each year. US-based immigration lawyer Murali Bashyam, managing partner of Bashyam Spiro LLP which advises and works with small to mid-sized Indian IT firms, said clients had been in contact seeking clarity, while the number of visa applicants had fallen. "I think the reason for that is they get the sense that it's going to get so much tougher to comply with all of the changes ... that it might not be worth their money," he said. "There is a fear that radical immigration changes are coming, and if those radical immigration changes come then it could completely change the way IT staffing companies do business." Bashyam said the number of people on H-1B visas already working in the United States who were considering returning to their home country had risen. An engineer working at Cisco, who has been in the United States since 2011, said that three months ago he would not have considered returning to India. But the review of the visa system, and any rule change that revoked the right for his wife to work in the United States on a dependent visa, could force him to change his mind. "If that happens, then I would definitely be interested in going back to India. Even though I'm secure, I don't want to be in a situation where my wife cannot work," said the engineer, who declined to be named. "Those who have heavily invested here, who've bought houses, property and are still on visas, are afraid." 'I'm looking eastward' According to Bashyam, some Indians on H-1B visas were cancelling plans to return home to visit their families in case they had problems getting back into the United States. "With everything that's going on, travelling outside the U.S. is the biggest fear for a lot of the H-1B workers working in the IT staffing industry," he said. And the uncertainty is not limited to IT. Trump's campaign rhetoric around tighter visa rules has led some Indian students considering studying abroad to look beyond the United States, which typically draws in over 100,000 Indian students annually. One Canadian official said the number of student visa applications for certain courses in Canada had spiked over 250 per cent since Trump's election win in November. Akshay Baliga, a management consultant with a H-1B visa that is valid until 2018, said he was not considering returning to the United States for work any time soon. "As a professional I'm looking eastward," said Baliga, now based in India but who earlier studied and lived for years in America. (Reuters)

Indian techies, IT firms fret as Trump orders H-1B visa review

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order directing federal agencies to recommend changes to a temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs.

The order call for &quot;the strict enforcement of all laws governing entry into the United States of labour from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States,&quot; one of the senior officials said.

It will call on the departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security and State to take action to crack down on what the official called &quot;fraud and abuse&quot; in the US&nbsp;immigration system to protect American workers.

The order will call on those four federal departments to propose reforms to ensure H-1B visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest paid applicant.

Two senior Trump administration officials who briefed reporters at the White House said Trump will also use the &quot;buy American and hire American&quot; order to seek changes in government procurement practices to increase the purchase of American products in federal contracts.&nbsp;

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Trump is to sign the order when he visits the world headquarters of Snap-On Inc, a tool manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The order is an attempt by Trump to carry out his &quot;America First&quot; campaign pledges to reform US&nbsp;immigration policies and encourage purchases of American products.

As he nears the 100-day benchmark of his presidency, Trump has no major legislative achievements to tout but has used executive orders to seek regulatory changes to help the US&nbsp;economy.

H-1B visas are intended for foreign nationals in &quot;specialty&quot; occupations that generally require higher education, which according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) includes, but is not limited to, scientists, engineers or computer programmers. The government uses a lottery to award 65,000 visas every year and randomly distributes another 20,000 to graduate student workers.

The number of applications for H-1B visas fell to 199,000 this year from 236,000 in 2016, according U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Companies say they use visas to recruit top talent. More than 15 percent of Facebook Inc&#39;s U.S. employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, according to a Reuters analysis of U.S. Labor Department filings.

But a majority of the visas are awarded to outsourcing firms, sparking criticism by skeptics who say those firms use the visas to fill lower-level information technology jobs. Critics also say the lottery system benefits outsourcing firms that flood the system with mass applications.

The senior official said the end result of how the system currently works is that foreign workers are often brought in at less pay to replace American workers, &quot;violating the principle of the program.&quot;

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California and Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California were not immediately available to comment.

Facebook, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc were also not immediately available after normal business hours.

The order also asks federal agencies to look at how to get rid of loopholes in the government procurement process.

Specifically, the review will take into account whether waivers in free-trade agreements are leading to unfair trade by allowing foreign companies to undercut American companies in the global government procurement market.

&quot;If it turns out America is a net loser because of those free-trade agreement waivers, which apply to almost 60 countries, these waivers may be promptly renegotiated or revoked,&quot; the second official said.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order directing federal agencies to recommend changes to a temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs. The order call for "the strict enforcement of all laws governing entry into the United States of labour from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States," one of the senior officials said. It will call on the departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security and State to take action to crack down on what the official called "fraud and abuse" in the US immigration system to protect American workers. The order will call on those four federal departments to propose reforms to ensure H-1B visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest paid applicant. Two senior Trump administration officials who briefed reporters at the White House said Trump will also use the "buy American and hire American" order to seek changes in government procurement practices to increase the purchase of American products in federal contracts. The order call for 'the strict enforcement of all laws governing entry into the United States of labour from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States' × Trump is to sign the order when he visits the world headquarters of Snap-On Inc, a tool manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The order is an attempt by Trump to carry out his "America First" campaign pledges to reform US immigration policies and encourage purchases of American products. As he nears the 100-day benchmark of his presidency, Trump has no major legislative achievements to tout but has used executive orders to seek regulatory changes to help the US economy. H-1B visas are intended for foreign nationals in "specialty" occupations that generally require higher education, which according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) includes, but is not limited to, scientists, engineers or computer programmers. The government uses a lottery to award 65,000 visas every year and randomly distributes another 20,000 to graduate student workers. The number of applications for H-1B visas fell to 199,000 this year from 236,000 in 2016, according U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Companies say they use visas to recruit top talent. More than 15 percent of Facebook Inc's U.S. employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, according to a Reuters analysis of U.S. Labor Department filings. But a majority of the visas are awarded to outsourcing firms, sparking criticism by skeptics who say those firms use the visas to fill lower-level information technology jobs. Critics also say the lottery system benefits outsourcing firms that flood the system with mass applications. The senior official said the end result of how the system currently works is that foreign workers are often brought in at less pay to replace American workers, "violating the principle of the program." Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California and Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California were not immediately available to comment. Facebook, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc were also not immediately available after normal business hours. The order also asks federal agencies to look at how to get rid of loopholes in the government procurement process. Specifically, the review will take into account whether waivers in free-trade agreements are leading to unfair trade by allowing foreign companies to undercut American companies in the global government procurement market. "If it turns out America is a net loser because of those free-trade agreement waivers, which apply to almost 60 countries, these waivers may be promptly renegotiated or revoked," the second official said. (Reuters)

Trump to seek changes in H-1B visa programme to encourage hiring of Americans

A legislation that aims to double the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders has been tabled at the United States House of Representatives.

The legislation will make it difficult for tech companies to hire foreign workers, especially Indians.

At the moment, companies have to pay a minimum $60,000 per annum to get people&nbsp;on H-1B visas.

But if the new legislation is enshrined, companies will have to pay a minimum of $130,000 to recruit foreign workers.

Californian Congresswoman&nbsp;Zoe Lofgren, who introduced the legislation titled&nbsp;High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017, said this would hinder companies from &quot;outsourcing jobs&quot;.

&ldquo;My legislation refocuses the H-1B programme to its original intent &ndash; to seek out and find the best and brightest from around the world, and to supplement the US workforce with talented, highly-paid, and highly-skilled workers who help create jobs here in America, not replace them,&rdquo; said Lofgren.

&ldquo;It offers a market-based solution that gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most. This ensures American employers have access to the talent they need, while removing incentives for companies to undercut American wages and outsource jobs,&rdquo; he said.

Lofgren said it removes the &lsquo;per country&rsquo; cap for employment based immigrant visas so that all workers are treated more fairly and to move to a system where employers hire the most skilled workers without regard to national origin.

It raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are exempt from attestation requirements to a new required wage level of 35 percentile points above the median national annual wage for Computer and Mathematical Occupations published by the Department of Labour Occupational Employment Statistics (roughly USD132,000), which would be adjusted in the future without the need for new legislation, and eliminates the Master&rsquo;s Degree exemption for dependent employers.

The legislation sets aside 20 per cent of the annually allocated H-1B visas for small and start-up employers (50 or fewer employers) to ensure small businesses have an opportunity to compete for high-skilled workers, while still protecting against outsourcing.

It among other things removes visa hurdles for students and other temporary visa holders by building a bridge from F-1 student status to Lawful Permanent Residence and removes paperwork burdens by streamlining H-1B filing requirements and reducing administrative costs.

The legislation tightens employee protection by stipulating that employers may not reduce beneficiary wages, regardless of whether the deduction is in accordance with a voluntary authorisation by the employee.

It makes exceptions for taxes, garnishments, and deductions that are reasonable and customary in the occupation.

In related development, Senator Sherrod Brown has announced to introduce H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act in the Senate which he said would close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs and provide increased protections for both American workers and visa holders.

&ldquo;We need to crack down on the fraud and abuse that allows corporations to avoid paying Americans fair wages and exploit foreign workers,&rdquo; said Brown.

&ldquo;During his campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programs and reform starts with this bipartisan legislation to ensure that American businesses are giving American workers a fair shot at good-paying jobs,&rdquo; he said.

The bill would require that employers first offer a vacant position to an equally or better qualified American worker before seeking an H-1B or L-1 visa holder.

It would also establish wage requirements for L-1 workers and improve H-1B wage requirements to encourage companies to hire qualified American workers and prevent them from using foreign workers as a source of cheap labour.

Under the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have additional oversight authority to investigate fraud and abuse as well as to increase penalties for companies that violate the bill&rsquo;s requirements.

The bill also requires DOL and DHS to share information so that visa petitions are effectively scrutinised.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The legislation, if enshrined, will more than double the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders

A legislation that aims to double the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders has been tabled at the United States House of Representatives. The legislation will make it difficult for tech companies to hire foreign workers, especially Indians. At the moment, companies have to pay a minimum $60,000 per annum to get people on H-1B visas. But if the new legislation is enshrined, companies will have to pay a minimum of $130,000 to recruit foreign workers. Californian Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who introduced the legislation titled High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017, said this would hinder companies from "outsourcing jobs". “My legislation refocuses the H-1B programme to its original intent – to seek out and find the best and brightest from around the world, and to supplement the US workforce with talented, highly-paid, and highly-skilled workers who help create jobs here in America, not replace them,” said Lofgren. “It offers a market-based solution that gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most. This ensures American employers have access to the talent they need, while removing incentives for companies to undercut American wages and outsource jobs,” he said. Lofgren said it removes the ‘per country’ cap for employment based immigrant visas so that all workers are treated more fairly and to move to a system where employers hire the most skilled workers without regard to national origin. It raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are exempt from attestation requirements to a new required wage level of 35 percentile points above the median national annual wage for Computer and Mathematical Occupations published by the Department of Labour Occupational Employment Statistics (roughly USD132,000), which would be adjusted in the future without the need for new legislation, and eliminates the Master’s Degree exemption for dependent employers. The legislation sets aside 20 per cent of the annually allocated H-1B visas for small and start-up employers (50 or fewer employers) to ensure small businesses have an opportunity to compete for high-skilled workers, while still protecting against outsourcing. It among other things removes visa hurdles for students and other temporary visa holders by building a bridge from F-1 student status to Lawful Permanent Residence and removes paperwork burdens by streamlining H-1B filing requirements and reducing administrative costs. The legislation tightens employee protection by stipulating that employers may not reduce beneficiary wages, regardless of whether the deduction is in accordance with a voluntary authorisation by the employee. It makes exceptions for taxes, garnishments, and deductions that are reasonable and customary in the occupation. In related development, Senator Sherrod Brown has announced to introduce H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act in the Senate which he said would close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs and provide increased protections for both American workers and visa holders. “We need to crack down on the fraud and abuse that allows corporations to avoid paying Americans fair wages and exploit foreign workers,” said Brown. “During his campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programs and reform starts with this bipartisan legislation to ensure that American businesses are giving American workers a fair shot at good-paying jobs,” he said. The bill would require that employers first offer a vacant position to an equally or better qualified American worker before seeking an H-1B or L-1 visa holder. It would also establish wage requirements for L-1 workers and improve H-1B wage requirements to encourage companies to hire qualified American workers and prevent them from using foreign workers as a source of cheap labour. Under the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have additional oversight authority to investigate fraud and abuse as well as to increase penalties for companies that violate the bill’s requirements. The bill also requires DOL and DHS to share information so that visa petitions are effectively scrutinised. (WION with inputs from PTI)

H-1B reforms bill, aimed at curbing foreign workers inflow, tabled in US Congress

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