The bill has been written in such a way that it would impact only Indian companies.
The bill has been written in such a way that it would impact only Indian companies.
Washington
: A special USD 2,000 fee could return on H-1B and L-1 visas for Indian IT companies to fund a 9/11 healthcare act in the US with a group of Congressmen quietly mounting fresh efforts to reimpose it. Such a move has been made part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which funds health screenings and treatments for 9/11 first responders.
The bill, named after Detective James Zadroga who died of a respiratory illness in 2006, expired on October 1. Lawmakers are seeking to permanently extend the bill and want to generate necessary funds by imposing a USD 2,000 additional fee on H-1B visas. The bill has been written in such a way that it would impact only Indian companies.
According to NASSCOM, Indian companies had paid between USD 70 to 80 million per annum between 2010 and 2015. The -"extra fee applies to companies with at least 50 per cent of their employees on H-1B visa or L-1 visas, and is in addition to the other fees paid by employers,-" Computerworld reported. Because of its 50 per cent threshold, it mostly hits the large Indian IT services firms, the leading users of the H-1B visa, the report said.
