Planned H-1B rules tweak may deport many Indians

New Delhi: Thousands of Indian techies working in the United States could run the risk of deportation if a proposal of the US department of homeland security that would prevent the extension of H-1B visa goes through, according to American media and other website reports.

The move, if successful, could directly impact those working in the US from keeping their visas while their green card applications stand pending. The proposal is being seen as an extension of President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” initiative.

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 in specialised fields. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. According to some estimates, the US issues 85,000 H1-B visas every year out of which Indians reportedly get about 60,000 visas.

According to various news-websites citing US media reports, the move would mean that thousands of Indian IT employees in the US will not get their H-1B visas extended as their applications for Green Card- which grants permanent residency-stay pending. The existing rules apparently allow the administration to extend the H-1B visas beyond the allowed two three-year terms if a green card is due for approval.

According to these reports, the proposal also includes strengthening the definition of visa-dependent companies in terms of minimum salary and movement of talent in order to restrict the number of people coming to the US to work.

It may be recalled that just about two months ago, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said the US that it should not do anything on the H1B visa issue that will hit the interests of Indian professionals working there. “There is no change (as yet) in the H1B visa policy (of the US),” Ms Swaraj had said in October last year.