The Trump administration has told a federal court that its decision to revoke work permits to H-4 visa users, a significant majority of whom are Indian-Americans, is expected within the next three months, a move which will have a major impact on Indian women as they are the major beneficiary of the Obama-era rule.

H-4 visas are issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the holders of H-1B visa, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its latest court filing Friday told the US District Court in District of Columbia that it was "making a solid and swift progress in proposing to remove from its regulations on certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation".

The DHS said the new rule would be submitted to the Office of Management of Budget (OMB), White House, within three months.

Till then, the department urged the court to keep in abeyance its decision on a lawsuit filed by 'Save Jobs USA', representing a group of US workers who claim that their jobs have been hit by such a policy of the government that was promulgated during the previous Obama administration.

The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy that it thinks is being misused by companies to replace American workers.

The administration has said publicly and also in its court filing that it wants to revoke work permits to H4 visa holders, a significant majority of whom are Indian-Americans and women.

The move will have a major impact on Indian women as they are the major beneficiary of the Obama-era rule.

This is for the third time that the Department of Homeland has informed the court about the delay in issue of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The DHS has filed three status reports - on February 28, May 22 and August 20. The next status report is due on November 19.

Explaining the reasons for the delay, the US attorney said since the filing of the most recent status report, the DHS's senior leadership reviewed the proposed rule and returned it to the USCIS this month for revisions.

"Senior leadership review and the request for revisions is standard practice within the DHS. When the necessary revisions are incorporated, the USCIS will return the proposed rule to the DHS for final clearance and submission to OMB," he said.

However, 'Save Jobs USA' has sought an early decision from the court, arguing that the longer the case remains in abeyance, the greater the possible harm to the US workers.

As of December 25, 2017, the USCIS had approved 1,26,853 applications for employment authorisation for H-4 visa holders. These counts all approvals since May 2015 when the rule was implemented. This number includes 90,946 initial approvals, 35,219 renewals, and 688 replacements for lost cards.

"Ninety-three per cent of approved applications for H-4 employment authorisation was issued to individuals born in India, and five per cent were issued to individuals born in China. Individuals born in all other countries combined make up the remaining two per cent of approved applications," the Congressional Research Service said in its recent report, based on information obtained from the USCIS.&nbsp;

The Trump administration has told a federal court that its decision to revoke work permits to H-4 visa users, a significant majority of whom are Indian-Americans, is expected within the next three months, a move which will have a major impact on Indian women as they are the major beneficiary of the Obama-era rule.

The Trump administration has told a federal court that its decision to revoke work permits to H-4 visa users, a significant majority of whom are Indian-Americans, is expected within the next three months, a move which will have a major impact on Indian women as they are the major beneficiary of the Obama-era rule. H-4 visas are issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the holders of H-1B visa, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its latest court filing Friday told the US District Court in District of Columbia that it was "making a solid and swift progress in proposing to remove from its regulations on certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation". The DHS said the new rule would be submitted to the Office of Management of Budget (OMB), White House, within three months. Till then, the department urged the court to keep in abeyance its decision on a lawsuit filed by 'Save Jobs USA', representing a group of US workers who claim that their jobs have been hit by such a policy of the government that was promulgated during the previous Obama administration. The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy that it thinks is being misused by companies to replace American workers. The administration has said publicly and also in its court filing that it wants to revoke work permits to H4 visa holders, a significant majority of whom are Indian-Americans and women. The move will have a major impact on Indian women as they are the major beneficiary of the Obama-era rule. This is for the third time that the Department of Homeland has informed the court about the delay in issue of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The DHS has filed three status reports - on February 28, May 22 and August 20. The next status report is due on November 19. Explaining the reasons for the delay, the US attorney said since the filing of the most recent status report, the DHS's senior leadership reviewed the proposed rule and returned it to the USCIS this month for revisions. "Senior leadership review and the request for revisions is standard practice within the DHS. When the necessary revisions are incorporated, the USCIS will return the proposed rule to the DHS for final clearance and submission to OMB," he said. However, 'Save Jobs USA' has sought an early decision from the court, arguing that the longer the case remains in abeyance, the greater the possible harm to the US workers. As of December 25, 2017, the USCIS had approved 1,26,853 applications for employment authorisation for H-4 visa holders. These counts all approvals since May 2015 when the rule was implemented. This number includes 90,946 initial approvals, 35,219 renewals, and 688 replacements for lost cards. "Ninety-three per cent of approved applications for H-4 employment authorisation was issued to individuals born in India, and five per cent were issued to individuals born in China. Individuals born in all other countries combined make up the remaining two per cent of approved applications," the Congressional Research Service said in its recent report, based on information obtained from the USCIS.

US to revoke work permits for families of H-1B visa holders in 3 months: Report

Petitions for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, will be accepted from April 2, a federal agency announced today. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced the suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions which are subject to the annual caps.

The H1B 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 H-1B petition filing is for the fiscal year 2019 beginning October 1, 2018.

The suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions which are subject to the annual caps is expected to last until September 10, 2018. During this time, the USCIS said it will continue to accept premium processing requests for H-1B petitions that are not subject to the fiscal 2019 cap.

&ldquo;We will notify the public before resuming premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions or making any other premium processing updates,&rdquo; it said. At the same time, the USCIS said while premium processing is suspended, a petitioner may submit a request to expedite an FY 2019 cap-subject H-1B petition if it meets the expedited criteria.

The USCIS said that the temporary suspension of premium processing will help it reduce overall H-1B processing time. By temporarily suspending premium processing, the USCIS said it will be able to process long-pending petitions, which it has 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; and prioritise adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark.

As an H-1B non-immigrant, the applicant may be admitted for a period of up to three years. The time period may be extended, but generally cannot go beyond a total of six years. However, there are some exceptions to it. The H1-B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year as mandated by the Congress. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master&rsquo;s degree or higher are exempt from the cap.

Additionally, H1-B workers who are petitioned for or employed at an institution of higher education or its affiliated or related nonprofit entities or a nonprofit research organisation or a government research organisation are not subject to this numerical cap.

According to the USCIS, between 2007 and 2017, it received the maximum number of 2.2 million H-1B petitions from high-skilled Indians. India was followed by China with 301,000 H-1B petitions during the same period.

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise

Petitions for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, will be accepted from April 2, a federal agency announced today. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced the suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions which are subject to the annual caps. The H1B 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 H-1B petition filing is for the fiscal year 2019 beginning October 1, 2018. The suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions which are subject to the annual caps is expected to last until September 10, 2018. During this time, the USCIS said it will continue to accept premium processing requests for H-1B petitions that are not subject to the fiscal 2019 cap. “We will notify the public before resuming premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions or making any other premium processing updates,” it said. At the same time, the USCIS said while premium processing is suspended, a petitioner may submit a request to expedite an FY 2019 cap-subject H-1B petition if it meets the expedited criteria. The USCIS said that the temporary suspension of premium processing will help it reduce overall H-1B processing time. By temporarily suspending premium processing, the USCIS said it will be able to process long-pending petitions, which it has 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; and prioritise adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark. As an H-1B non-immigrant, the applicant may be admitted for a period of up to three years. The time period may be extended, but generally cannot go beyond a total of six years. However, there are some exceptions to it. The H1-B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year as mandated by the Congress. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master’s degree or higher are exempt from the cap. Additionally, H1-B workers who are petitioned for or employed at an institution of higher education or its affiliated or related nonprofit entities or a nonprofit research organisation or a government research organisation are not subject to this numerical cap. According to the USCIS, between 2007 and 2017, it received the maximum number of 2.2 million H-1B petitions from high-skilled Indians. India was followed by China with 301,000 H-1B petitions during the same period.

H-1B applications to begin on April 2, fast processing halted

Anti-H1B posters have come up in local metro stations and commuter trains in San Francisco and California, ahead of the work visa, which is popular among Indian IT professionals, filing season beginning in April.

The Progressives for Immigration Reform which has bought advertisements worth $80,000 for the San Francisco&#39;s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations and trains, argues that their purpose is to create awareness about the misuse and abuse of the H-1B visa.

&quot;This is to get exposure to the H-1B programme. And with that attention, with that visibility, begin conversations on the abuses of the programmes what it was intended to be and what it has become,&quot; Kevin Lynn, director of the Washington Dc-based Progressive for Information Reform told.

The campaign started on March 15, and would last till April 1, he said, adding that he has been receiving &quot;amazingly positive&quot; response from the users of BART.

&quot;Your companies think you are expensive, undeserving &amp; expendable,&quot; the advertisement said.

&quot;Congress, fix H-1B law so companies must seek &amp; hire US workers!&quot; it said.

These advertisements have been placed primarily at San Francisco&#39;s Civic Center Station and Oakland&#39;s 19th Street Stations with smaller numbers in other stations and in trains, BART said.

Lynn insisted that this is not about against H-1B visa, but to create awareness about the abuses of the programme and then fix those.

&quot;The responses receiving are amazingly positive,&quot; he said, adding that there was some negative responses, wherein people mistakenly thought that this was anti-immigrant.

&quot;That all pretty much ended by Friday as news started to come out and people began to realise that this is a programme that is bringing attention to the abuses of the programme,&quot; he said.

&quot;In fact, I would say the positive responses are half and half between people who are who are foreign and people who are US citizens. Because there are two groups being abused here and exploited. One are foreign nationals who are working for companies that they have no protection, no labour laws in America are protecting the H1B worker. If company decides to fire them, they go back to whatever country they came from,&quot; Lynn said.

&quot;At the same time, companies are using H-1B workers to displace or not even think of seeking to hire an American worker who&#39;s qualified to do the job,&quot; he asserted.

He said the solution is that, a company should be made to seek and hire American workers first.

&quot;Two, when we work through a programme like this, should not be for people with ordinary skills, but only the exceptionally talented. That was the intention in 1990s. It was called the genius visa,&quot; Lynn said.

Most of the H-1B visa holders hold a bachelor&#39;s degree from a foreign university and 26 per cent of those have only an associate&#39;s degree, he said.

&quot;So, we&#39;re not seeing the very talented people coming to the country, but we&#39;re seeing people brought over to displace American workers,&quot; he alleged.

The intention of the programme initially was to bring the best and the brightest, he said.

Lynn said this publicity is &quot;already expanding&quot; into other cities.

The nature of campaign differs from city to city.

&quot;There are reasons that a campaign like this will work well in San Francisco and maybe not well in Boston. We would use other (campaign). The purpose of this campaign is to bring attention and then to organise tech workers to create a movement that will generate a political solution to this,&quot; Lynn said.

However, despite Lynn&#39;s insistence that this is not an anti-H-1B campaign, Indian-American groups have slammed Progressives for Immigration Reform and described these posters on BART stations in San Francisco as deeply problematic.

&quot;The anti-H-1B ads currently running on BART trains throughout the San Francisco Bay Area are deeply problematic and oversimplify the H-1B issue,&quot; Samir Kalra, San Francisco Bay Area based managing director of the Hindu American Foundation said.

&quot;While there have certainly been instances of abuse of the H-1B visa programme by large staffing companies that should be addressed, H-1B workers and immigrants have been a great benefit to our country. They&#39;ve helped spur innovation and have made tremendous contributions to our economy and broader society,&quot; he said.

&quot;More importantly, these ads further contribute to the growing anti-immigrant sentiment and unnecessarily demonize H-1B workers, many of whom face obstacles in obtaining visas and are forced to wait decades to receive green cards and build a secure life in this country,&quot; Kalra said.

BART has insisted that the display of these ads does not mean its endorsement.

&quot;This campaign complies with free speech laws that allow advertisers to express a point of view without regard to the viewpoint. BART must post these ads to comply with the law. Court rulings reinforce the fact that we can&#39;t deny the ads,&quot; a BART statement said.

&quot;BART does not endorse these ads. In fact, our Board of Directors passed a Safe Transit Policy in 2017 to send a clear message to the public and our riders that BART is a safe and welcoming system for all people,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The campaign started on March 15, and would last till April 1

Anti-H1B posters have come up in local metro stations and commuter trains in San Francisco and California, ahead of the work visa, which is popular among Indian IT professionals, filing season beginning in April. The Progressives for Immigration Reform which has bought advertisements worth $80,000 for the San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations and trains, argues that their purpose is to create awareness about the misuse and abuse of the H-1B visa. "This is to get exposure to the H-1B programme. And with that attention, with that visibility, begin conversations on the abuses of the programmes what it was intended to be and what it has become," Kevin Lynn, director of the Washington Dc-based Progressive for Information Reform told. The campaign started on March 15, and would last till April 1, he said, adding that he has been receiving "amazingly positive" response from the users of BART. "Your companies think you are expensive, undeserving & expendable," the advertisement said. "Congress, fix H-1B law so companies must seek & hire US workers!" it said. These advertisements have been placed primarily at San Francisco's Civic Center Station and Oakland's 19th Street Stations with smaller numbers in other stations and in trains, BART said. Lynn insisted that this is not about against H-1B visa, but to create awareness about the abuses of the programme and then fix those. "The responses receiving are amazingly positive," he said, adding that there was some negative responses, wherein people mistakenly thought that this was anti-immigrant. "That all pretty much ended by Friday as news started to come out and people began to realise that this is a programme that is bringing attention to the abuses of the programme," he said. "In fact, I would say the positive responses are half and half between people who are who are foreign and people who are US citizens. Because there are two groups being abused here and exploited. One are foreign nationals who are working for companies that they have no protection, no labour laws in America are protecting the H1B worker. If company decides to fire them, they go back to whatever country they came from," Lynn said. "At the same time, companies are using H-1B workers to displace or not even think of seeking to hire an American worker who's qualified to do the job," he asserted. He said the solution is that, a company should be made to seek and hire American workers first. "Two, when we work through a programme like this, should not be for people with ordinary skills, but only the exceptionally talented. That was the intention in 1990s. It was called the genius visa," Lynn said. Most of the H-1B visa holders hold a bachelor's degree from a foreign university and 26 per cent of those have only an associate's degree, he said. "So, we're not seeing the very talented people coming to the country, but we're seeing people brought over to displace American workers," he alleged. The intention of the programme initially was to bring the best and the brightest, he said. Lynn said this publicity is "already expanding" into other cities. The nature of campaign differs from city to city. "There are reasons that a campaign like this will work well in San Francisco and maybe not well in Boston. We would use other (campaign). The purpose of this campaign is to bring attention and then to organise tech workers to create a movement that will generate a political solution to this," Lynn said. However, despite Lynn's insistence that this is not an anti-H-1B campaign, Indian-American groups have slammed Progressives for Immigration Reform and described these posters on BART stations in San Francisco as deeply problematic. "The anti-H-1B ads currently running on BART trains throughout the San Francisco Bay Area are deeply problematic and oversimplify the H-1B issue," Samir Kalra, San Francisco Bay Area based managing director of the Hindu American Foundation said. "While there have certainly been instances of abuse of the H-1B visa programme by large staffing companies that should be addressed, H-1B workers and immigrants have been a great benefit to our country. They've helped spur innovation and have made tremendous contributions to our economy and broader society," he said. "More importantly, these ads further contribute to the growing anti-immigrant sentiment and unnecessarily demonize H-1B workers, many of whom face obstacles in obtaining visas and are forced to wait decades to receive green cards and build a secure life in this country," Kalra said. BART has insisted that the display of these ads does not mean its endorsement. "This campaign complies with free speech laws that allow advertisers to express a point of view without regard to the viewpoint. BART must post these ads to comply with the law. Court rulings reinforce the fact that we can't deny the ads," a BART statement said. "BART does not endorse these ads. In fact, our Board of Directors passed a Safe Transit Policy in 2017 to send a clear message to the public and our riders that BART is a safe and welcoming system for all people," it said.

Anti H-1B posters come up in San Francisco metro stations

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has &quot;strongly raised&quot; the H-1B visa issue with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, highlighting the important role played by highly skilled Indian professionals in America, officials said Friday.

During the meeting here in Washington -- the first cabinet-level interaction between the two countries under the Trump administration -- Ross is believed to have said that US has started the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and no decision has been taken on it yet, sources said.

Taking up the case of Indian IT companies and professionals, Jaitley told Ross about the contribution of highly skilled Indians in the economic development of the United States and India and stressed that they should continue to do so, which is in the best interest of the two countries, an Indian official said.

Ross is understood to have said that whatever the outcome of the review process, the Trump administration&#39;s objective is to have a merit-based immigration policy that gives preference to highly skilled professionals.

The executive order signed by Trump early this week calls for a review of H-1B visas by the departments of State, Labour, Homeland Security and Justice.

Jaitley, leading an Indian delegation, arrived in Washington DC yesterday morning to attend the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Over the next two days, the Finance Minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the US, Australia, France, Indonesia and Sweden. He is also likely to meet finance ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Stressing that India-US relationship has bipartisan support in both the countries, the Finance Minister in his meeting with the commerce secretary said the two largest democratic countries of the world over the years have developed a&nbsp;strong strategic, economic and defence relationship.

The three phone conversations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have had, along with the officials meeting, has shown that the two governments are going to build on this momentum in the years to come, the official said.

Briefing Ross on India&#39;s growth story, Jaitley is believed to have given an him insight into a series of &quot;far reaching reforms&quot; being undertaken by the Modi government post-demonetisation including the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Jaitley said the two countries should be able to move towards achieving the goal of $500 billion per annum in bilateral trade in the next few years.

In addition to his meetings and presentations at the annual Spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, the Union minister is also scheduled to attend meetings of other multilateral forums including that of the G-20 finance ministers.

Before leaving Washington DC for New York on Sunday, he is expected to interact with think-tanks and eminent Indian-Americans.

(PTI)

The US commerce secretary said they have reviewed the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and that no decision has been taken so far

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has "strongly raised" the H-1B visa issue with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, highlighting the important role played by highly skilled Indian professionals in America, officials said Friday. During the meeting here in Washington -- the first cabinet-level interaction between the two countries under the Trump administration -- Ross is believed to have said that US has started the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and no decision has been taken on it yet, sources said. Taking up the case of Indian IT companies and professionals, Jaitley told Ross about the contribution of highly skilled Indians in the economic development of the United States and India and stressed that they should continue to do so, which is in the best interest of the two countries, an Indian official said. Ross is understood to have said that whatever the outcome of the review process, the Trump administration's objective is to have a merit-based immigration policy that gives preference to highly skilled professionals. The executive order signed by Trump early this week calls for a review of H-1B visas by the departments of State, Labour, Homeland Security and Justice. Jaitley, leading an Indian delegation, arrived in Washington DC yesterday morning to attend the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Over the next two days, the Finance Minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the US, Australia, France, Indonesia and Sweden. He is also likely to meet finance ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Stressing that India-US relationship has bipartisan support in both the countries, the Finance Minister in his meeting with the commerce secretary said the two largest democratic countries of the world over the years have developed a strong strategic, economic and defence relationship. The three phone conversations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have had, along with the officials meeting, has shown that the two governments are going to build on this momentum in the years to come, the official said. Briefing Ross on India's growth story, Jaitley is believed to have given an him insight into a series of "far reaching reforms" being undertaken by the Modi government post-demonetisation including the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Jaitley said the two countries should be able to move towards achieving the goal of $500 billion per annum in bilateral trade in the next few years. In addition to his meetings and presentations at the annual Spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, the Union minister is also scheduled to attend meetings of other multilateral forums including that of the G-20 finance ministers. Before leaving Washington DC for New York on Sunday, he is expected to interact with think-tanks and eminent Indian-Americans. (PTI)

India 'strongly raises' H-1B visa issue with US, highlights role of skilled professionals

US authorities are temporarily suspending the speedy, premium processing of a visa which is often used by tech firms to recruit foreign skilled workers.

Although the move comes as President Donald Trump pledges to prioritize jobs for Americans, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the suspension was only meant to help the agency reduce overall processing time.

The H-1B visa is issued to tens of thousands of highly skilled foreign nationals each year, but as of April 3, applicants will no longer be able to use a costly shortcut to rush the processing of their visas.

On Friday, USCIS announced that the &quot;premium processing&quot; of H-1B visas -- which saw wait times reduced from several months to 15 days for the price of $1,225 -- would be temporarily suspended for up to six months.

The visa has drawn particular attention since Trump&#39;s election, with White House spokesman Sean Spicer suggesting&nbsp;that presidential and congressional action could be taken on H-1B visas as &quot;part of a larger immigration reform effort.&quot;

According to USCIS, the visas go to scientists, engineers, computer programmers or anyone &quot;in specialty occupations that require the theoretical or practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge.&quot;

The United States offers 85,000 H-1B visas every year, most of which are snapped up by Indian outsourcers whose employees fill a skill gap in US engineering. Applications are vastly oversubscribed and are allocated via a lottery system.

(AFP)

The decision to suspend the process comes as the Donald Trump administration looks to prioritise jobs for Americans

US authorities are temporarily suspending the speedy, premium processing of a visa which is often used by tech firms to recruit foreign skilled workers. Although the move comes as President Donald Trump pledges to prioritize jobs for Americans, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the suspension was only meant to help the agency reduce overall processing time. The H-1B visa is issued to tens of thousands of highly skilled foreign nationals each year, but as of April 3, applicants will no longer be able to use a costly shortcut to rush the processing of their visas. On Friday, USCIS announced that the "premium processing" of H-1B visas -- which saw wait times reduced from several months to 15 days for the price of $1,225 -- would be temporarily suspended for up to six months. The visa has drawn particular attention since Trump's election, with White House spokesman Sean Spicer suggesting that presidential and congressional action could be taken on H-1B visas as "part of a larger immigration reform effort." According to USCIS, the visas go to scientists, engineers, computer programmers or anyone "in specialty occupations that require the theoretical or practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge." The United States offers 85,000 H-1B visas every year, most of which are snapped up by Indian outsourcers whose employees fill a skill gap in US engineering. Applications are vastly oversubscribed and are allocated via a lottery system. (AFP)

US temporarily suspends speedy H-1B visa process to reduce backlog

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, presently on a US visit, said on Friday they have conveyed to the new administration that Indian partnership is important for the growing American economy to stay competitive.

When asked about discussion held with the Trump administration over the H-1B visa issue, the Foreign Secretary said the issue was discussed in a number of meetings with administration officials as well as the Congress.

During the meetings, the Indian side conveyed that the H-1B was a category of trade and services which actually helps the American economy.

&quot;If the Trump administration&#39;s intention is to bring back American companies to America and attract more foreign investment in America therefore there will be more growth then it is important that growing America remains competitive. So, there actually will be a growing need for this partnership,&quot; said Jaishankar during a conference at the Indian embassy in Washington DC.

He added, &quot;Of course in the US context it is seen as part of an immigration basket but what I would remind you is that the President himself in his address to the Congress referred to a merit based approach to this subject. We heard across the board a lot respect expressed for the Indian skills and Indians in the United States.&quot;&#39;

He said that the Indian side has certainly made its point quite forcefully both in the Congress and the administration and believes that it met with a degree of understanding.

The Foreign Secretary held meetings with a number of senior US administration officials including Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Homeland Security John F Kelly, National Security Advisor Lt Gen&nbsp;HR&nbsp;McMaster, House speaker Paul Ryan along with meetings with senior member of the Congress.

Jaishankar said a wide range of issues were discussed during these meetings. The Foreign Secretary also interacted with American business through the US-India Business Council. He added that overall it has been a very productive visit and that the new administration has a very positive view of India and there was a lot of interest in taking this relationship forward. He also mentioned that he extended an invitation to Tillerson and Ross to visit India at an early date, which they accepted in principal.

Jaishankar&#39;s four-day visit to the US aimed at sensitising the Trump administration over India&#39;s concerns over the security of Indian nationals in the US following a possible cut in H-1B and L-1 visas.This is his second visit to the US since the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US. 
 
(ANI)

S Jaishankar said he had conveyed India's concerns on H-1B and immigration to the US

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, presently on a US visit, said on Friday they have conveyed to the new administration that Indian partnership is important for the growing American economy to stay competitive. When asked about discussion held with the Trump administration over the H-1B visa issue, the Foreign Secretary said the issue was discussed in a number of meetings with administration officials as well as the Congress. During the meetings, the Indian side conveyed that the H-1B was a category of trade and services which actually helps the American economy. "If the Trump administration's intention is to bring back American companies to America and attract more foreign investment in America therefore there will be more growth then it is important that growing America remains competitive. So, there actually will be a growing need for this partnership," said Jaishankar during a conference at the Indian embassy in Washington DC. He added, "Of course in the US context it is seen as part of an immigration basket but what I would remind you is that the President himself in his address to the Congress referred to a merit based approach to this subject. We heard across the board a lot respect expressed for the Indian skills and Indians in the United States."' He said that the Indian side has certainly made its point quite forcefully both in the Congress and the administration and believes that it met with a degree of understanding. The Foreign Secretary held meetings with a number of senior US administration officials including Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Homeland Security John F Kelly, National Security Advisor Lt Gen HR McMaster, House speaker Paul Ryan along with meetings with senior member of the Congress. Jaishankar said a wide range of issues were discussed during these meetings. The Foreign Secretary also interacted with American business through the US-India Business Council. He added that overall it has been a very productive visit and that the new administration has a very positive view of India and there was a lot of interest in taking this relationship forward. He also mentioned that he extended an invitation to Tillerson and Ross to visit India at an early date, which they accepted in principal. Jaishankar's four-day visit to the US aimed at sensitising the Trump administration over India's concerns over the security of Indian nationals in the US following a possible cut in H-1B and L-1 visas.This is his second visit to the US since the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US. (ANI)

H-1B visas help American economy: Indian foreign secretary to Trump administration

US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s nominee for the post of attorney general has assured lawmakers of taking steps towards pushing legislative measures to curb misuse of H-1B and L1 work visas significantly used by Indian IT professionals and allegedly replace American workers.

&quot;It&#39;s simply wrong to think that we&#39;re in a totally open world and that any American with a job can be replaced if somebody in the world is willing to take a job for less pay,&quot; Senator Jeff Sessions told members of Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing for the position of US attorney general.

&quot;We have borders. We have a commitment to our citizens and you have been a champion of that. I&#39;ve been honoured to work with you on it,&quot; Sessions said in response to a question from Senator Charles Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 
In the past both Sessions and Grassley have worked together to bring legislations on H-1B visas that badly hit Indian IT companies.

Sessions is a staunch conservative&nbsp;with a controversial history.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ag-nominee-sessions-questioned-by-senate-committee-as-protesters-shout-wear-kkk-hoods-11125">Yesterday, Sessions</a> said in a senate hear that allegations that he harboured sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organisation, were false. &quot;I abhor the Klan and what it represents and its hateful ideology,&quot; Sessions said in his opening remarks. Protesters, some wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods, disrupted the hearing, shouting that Sessions was a racist and a bigot.

Former KKK leader David Duke has openly praised the appointment of Jeff Sessions as attorney general.

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Bannon, Flynn, Sessions -- Great! Senate must demand that Sessions as AG stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites!
&mdash; David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/799624219831058432">November 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Border attitudes

The Office of Special Counsel for immigration related unfair employment practices is an office within the Justice Department which would be headed by Sessions if he is confirmed by the US Senate. The Office enforces the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

&quot;While the office is designed to protect foreign nationals with employment visas from discrimination, it is also charged with ensuring that American workers are not discriminated against in the workplace. Many US workers advocate that the layoff of American workers and the replacement by cheaper, foreign, H-1B workers constitutes de facto nationality based discrimination against American workers,&quot; Grassley said.

&quot;The Obama administration has failed to protect American workers here. Will you, this is my question, will you be more aggressive in investigating the abuses of these visa programmes?&quot; he asked. &quot;I believe this has been an abuse. And I have been pleased to support your legislation and some others too, that others have produced that I believe could be helpful. It needs to be addressed,&quot; Sessions said.

Describing Sessions as a vocal champion for American workers, Grassley said many American workers are being laid off and replaced by cheaper foreign labour imported through some of the US visa programmes.

Sessions, Grassley and Senator Dick Durbin in the past had co-sponsored a bill that would reform H-1B visa programmes by ensuring that qualified American workers are considered for high skilled job opportunities before those jobs can be offered to foreign nationals.

&quot;It also prohibit a company from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 per cent of their employees are H-1B or L-1 visa holders,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Jeff Sessions characterised the Visa program that many Indians use to work in the US as an 'abuse', and pledged to aggressively investigate

US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the post of attorney general has assured lawmakers of taking steps towards pushing legislative measures to curb misuse of H-1B and L1 work visas significantly used by Indian IT professionals and allegedly replace American workers. "It's simply wrong to think that we're in a totally open world and that any American with a job can be replaced if somebody in the world is willing to take a job for less pay," Senator Jeff Sessions told members of Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing for the position of US attorney general. "We have borders. We have a commitment to our citizens and you have been a champion of that. I've been honoured to work with you on it," Sessions said in response to a question from Senator Charles Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the past both Sessions and Grassley have worked together to bring legislations on H-1B visas that badly hit Indian IT companies. Sessions is a staunch conservative with a controversial history. Yesterday, Sessions said in a senate hear that allegations that he harboured sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organisation, were false. "I abhor the Klan and what it represents and its hateful ideology," Sessions said in his opening remarks. Protesters, some wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods, disrupted the hearing, shouting that Sessions was a racist and a bigot. Former KKK leader David Duke has openly praised the appointment of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. Bannon, Flynn, Sessions -- Great! Senate must demand that Sessions as AG stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites! — David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) November 18, 2016 × Border attitudes The Office of Special Counsel for immigration related unfair employment practices is an office within the Justice Department which would be headed by Sessions if he is confirmed by the US Senate. The Office enforces the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. "While the office is designed to protect foreign nationals with employment visas from discrimination, it is also charged with ensuring that American workers are not discriminated against in the workplace. Many US workers advocate that the layoff of American workers and the replacement by cheaper, foreign, H-1B workers constitutes de facto nationality based discrimination against American workers," Grassley said. "The Obama administration has failed to protect American workers here. Will you, this is my question, will you be more aggressive in investigating the abuses of these visa programmes?" he asked. "I believe this has been an abuse. And I have been pleased to support your legislation and some others too, that others have produced that I believe could be helpful. It needs to be addressed," Sessions said. Describing Sessions as a vocal champion for American workers, Grassley said many American workers are being laid off and replaced by cheaper foreign labour imported through some of the US visa programmes. Sessions, Grassley and Senator Dick Durbin in the past had co-sponsored a bill that would reform H-1B visa programmes by ensuring that qualified American workers are considered for high skilled job opportunities before those jobs can be offered to foreign nationals. "It also prohibit a company from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 per cent of their employees are H-1B or L-1 visa holders," he said. (PTI)

Trump's controversial attorney general nominee promises curbs on H-1B visas

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