H1-b Visa Programme

The United States announced USD 150 million (over Rs 1,100 crore) on Thursday to invest in training for middle-to-high-skilled H-1B occupations in key sectors in the American economy.

Indian nationals have received between 67 and 72 per cent of the total H-1B visas issued by the US in last five years, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has no plans to cap H-1B work visas for nations that force foreign companies to store data locally, the State Department said on Thursday.

The US government has announced plans to change the H1-B visa programme to give preference to workers with advanced American degrees, a move which could potentially have the effect of reducing visas for those educated elsewhere.

The Trump administration is working on reforming the H-1B foreign workers visa programme which will be part of a skills- and merit-based legal immigration system, the White House said on Thursday.

India is continuing to engage with the US over the H-1B visa, largely availed of by Indian IT companies, after the Trump administration proposed changes to the programme, a senior official said today.

The H-1B visa programme has not undergone any fundamental change, a senior US diplomat said Monday, seeking to allay the apprehension among Indians that amendments to it would harm their interest.

A top Indian-American Congressman has said that American lawmakers should make sure that the H-1B visa programme, popular among Indian techies, is not abused to undercut the US job market and attract the best and the brightest into the country.

The White House has said that there were no specific plans to raise the contentious H-1B visa issue during US President Donald Trump's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the issue was under review and there have been no changes in the existing policy.

The H-1B visa programme is unlikely to be a thorny issue in the maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the talks could yield a "win-win formula" for both the sides, a top American business advocacy group group today said.

Indians' need not worry too much' about tightening of visa regime by developed economies as they will have ample opportunities in the country itself, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha said today.

Chief Economic Adviser or CEA Arvind Subramanian has said that any "serious actions" taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme will be a cause of "worry" as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the United States. Mr Subramanian was speaking at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank in Wash...

A US lawmaker has said the H1-B visa programme is an important tool to attract the best and the brightest from across the world to contribute to the economy of the United States, cautioning the Trump administration against kicking out those who can become competitors.

Amid concerns over the US' changed H1-B visa programme, India said today it was in touch with the Trump administration and making "full assessment" of its impact on Indian professionals.

"Indian IT companies are bound to face disruptions by way of higher costs and even some laying off work force back home, as the rising rupee is aggravating the situation further for the technology export firms," Assocham said in a report.

The United States announced USD 150 million (over Rs 1,100 crore) on Thursday to invest in training for middle-to-high-skilled H-1B occupations in key sectors in the American economy.

Indian nationals have received between 67 and 72 per cent of the total H-1B visas issued by the US in last five years, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has no plans to cap H-1B work visas for nations that force foreign companies to store data locally, the State Department said on Thursday.

The US government has announced plans to change the H1-B visa programme to give preference to workers with advanced American degrees, a move which could potentially have the effect of reducing visas for those educated elsewhere.

The Trump administration is working on reforming the H-1B foreign workers visa programme which will be part of a skills- and merit-based legal immigration system, the White House said on Thursday.

India is continuing to engage with the US over the H-1B visa, largely availed of by Indian IT companies, after the Trump administration proposed changes to the programme, a senior official said today.

The H-1B visa programme has not undergone any fundamental change, a senior US diplomat said Monday, seeking to allay the apprehension among Indians that amendments to it would harm their interest.

A top Indian-American Congressman has said that American lawmakers should make sure that the H-1B visa programme, popular among Indian techies, is not abused to undercut the US job market and attract the best and the brightest into the country.

The White House has said that there were no specific plans to raise the contentious H-1B visa issue during US President Donald Trump's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the issue was under review and there have been no changes in the existing policy.

The H-1B visa programme is unlikely to be a thorny issue in the maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the talks could yield a "win-win formula" for both the sides, a top American business advocacy group group today said.

Indians' need not worry too much' about tightening of visa regime by developed economies as they will have ample opportunities in the country itself, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha said today.

Chief Economic Adviser or CEA Arvind Subramanian has said that any "serious actions" taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme will be a cause of "worry" as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the United States. Mr Subramanian was speaking at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank in Wash...

A US lawmaker has said the H1-B visa programme is an important tool to attract the best and the brightest from across the world to contribute to the economy of the United States, cautioning the Trump administration against kicking out those who can become competitors.

Amid concerns over the US' changed H1-B visa programme, India said today it was in touch with the Trump administration and making "full assessment" of its impact on Indian professionals.

"Indian IT companies are bound to face disruptions by way of higher costs and even some laying off work force back home, as the rising rupee is aggravating the situation further for the technology export firms," Assocham said in a report.