Allaying fears of the IT sector on the contentious visa issue, the Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the number of H-1B visas for Indian IT professionals in United States will not come down. She also said that US wanted to correct the lottery process with a more merit-based immigration policy.
On changes in the selection process for H-1B visa (non-immigrant, short-term work visas), the Minister hoped that where the high skill set is required, US would look for that, rather than for first-time graduates. She pointed out that the selection process will be more stringent but the number of visas issued will remain unchanged. She noted that only 17% of total US visas are given to Indian companies and added that a number of American firms benefit from services provided by Indian firms.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump in April had signed an executive order for tightening the H-1B visa programme to stop its ‘abuse’ and ensure the visas are given to the ‘most- skilled or highest paid’ petitioners, a decision that is seen to impact India's $150 billion IT industry. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields.
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