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NO Fundamental Change In H-1B Visa Program, Says US Govt: Several Thousand PIOs Hail Trump’s Merit Based Visa Regime

 

WASHINGTON has asked Indian professionals that they need not worry about securing H-1B visas for working in the United States of America saying”We haven’t made any fundamental change related to H-1B Visa “.Allaying apprehension of the Indian public , particularly those intending to apply for such visas, Mumbai-based US Consul General Edgard D Kagan told reporters at Nagpur on Monday that his government is aware that is a sense in India that the changes in H-1B can have a big impact on the country. The diplomat, who was answering query by a journo on the controversial issue, said “We understand that and we have heard that message from the Indian government and recognized that it is important in this country. We would ask Indians to recognize that this is not about India and it is not about US-India relationship. This is about broader policy that affects countries around the world from American perspective and therefore it is very important to get it right,” he added. Besides American companies, foreign companies, especially those engaged in IT and other high tech business, are dependent on H1-B visa for allowing them to hire foreign workers .Hence, The Trump administration’s announcement to toughen the procedure for issuing H-1B visas has alarmed the Indian IT companies including Infosys and TCS who are engaged in business in the United States for several years. Kagan admits “Clearly, India is the largest single beneficiary of the programme. But I think when Indians look at H-1B and look at the changes of the program; they believe this is about US- India relationship. But I can assure you from American perspective that is not the case,” the senior diplomat added.”There is a misconception about H-1B programme. People in India believe that H-1B programme is about India. For America, it is a global programme. So H-1Bs are not just for Indians, it is a programme accessible and open to people from around the world,” the diplomat said. The H-1B program is viewed as a global program in his country and the concerns are about making it sure that the companies do not abuse people who receive H-1B visas. Therefore tightening of some of the procedures to make sure the people who receive the H-1B visas are being treated as they are supposed to by the companies. And also making it sure the programme is working as it was intended to work, the senior diplomat said.”To be fair, we have always looked very closely and made sure that there is no fraud and that the people meet right qualification for the H-1B. The US administration intends to implement the program fairly adhering to the established law giving no scope for fraud, he added. Meanwhile, several hundred highly-skilled Indian workers along with their children and spouses held a rally in front of the White House in Washington in support of President Donald Trump’s plan for a merit-based immigration system that aims at ending chain migration and diversity of lottery visa. The First Post says the highly skilled Indians living in the United States for several years had arrived at the US capital from as far as California, Texas and Chicago by flights and driving several hundred miles from places like Florida, New York and Massachusetts. They urged POTUS Trump to end the per country limit on legal permanent residency so as to eliminate the massive Green Card backlog of highly skilled Indians.”We are looking strictly for a merit-based immigration. It will bring prosperity and fast economic growth of the US,” Krishna Bansal, National policy and political director of Republican Hindu Coalition, told the rally held by the Indians.” We are with President Trump for taking initiative towards a merit-based immigration system,” Bansal said, adding that his group is working with the White House and lawmakers towards a comprehensive immigration bill that should include all these things. Giving green cards to thousands of highly skilled professionals from India would help them realise their full potential and boost country’s growth and prosperity, The First Post quoted Bansal announcing at the rally.(image courtesy: news18)

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