Among the significant reforms that US president elect Donald Trump’s team is contemplating is scrapping of country-wise cap on H-IB visas – a category of visas which allows foreign nationals to work in the US in specialty occupations up to a period of 6 years – reports said. It is clear that such a policy could have significant implications for Indian professionals.
Any move on H1B visa sparks great interest in countries such as India where a large number of professionals in IT and other technology aspire to work in the US every year. Numerous highly skilled professionals every year make a beeline for H1B visas to work in the largest economy of the world. If the H1B visa reform is eventually implemented it could have a great impact on both India and the US. It is reported that Sriram Krishnan, senior policy advisor for AI at White House Office of Science and Technology policy could be behind the idea.
Country cap for H1B visa creates logjam
Sectors such as technology, IT, engineering, and healthcare are the sectors where usually US companies appoint a lot of foreign workers and the first step of this process is the granting of H-1B visa. According to the extant rules, the US follows a ceiling for each country for granting H1B visas. According to reports, it means that more than 7% of the total number of H-1B visas cannot be allocated to professionals from any particular country, irrespective of the demand. Needless to emphasise that this cut-off has resulted in a long queue for those applying for H1B visas from India which has a huge pool of highly skilled professionals.
If the H1B visa cap is removed…
Very simply, it could change the uncertainty centering H1B visa applications would be eliminated in one stroke. It could lead to fast processing for the applications. Faster processing, in turn, could allow a welcome shift from temporary work status to permanent residency without the current queues, which often end up in frustration. Since countries such as India is the origin of talent in tech pool every year, it can lead to a major impact.
Removal of country-wise quota for H1B visas by the US could transform the lives of the thousands of highly skilled tech workers from India who apply every year to move to the US and work. The Trump administration could take this step. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
