US tech workers' body ask Trump to suspend H-1B visa programme amid layoff fears
If the work-visa programme is suspended for the current year, then it will impact Indian IT companies the most as they use the visa to deploy Indian engineers at the client's site in the US.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
New Delhi: Following the outbreak of Covid-19 virus, which has infected more than 2 lakh in the U.S so far, a US-based anti-immigration technology workers group has requested Donald Trump to suspended the H-1B work-visa programme for the current year. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 virus more and more people are losing jobs in the country.
According to a report in the Economic Times, US Tech Workers, a non-profit organisation, which advocates more local hiring, has written to the US President saying unemployment claims had gone up to 3 million in the previous week, with projections showing that this could rise further by another 30%.
“We urge you to pause the H-1B visa programme that would bring in 85,000 workers this year and suspend the recently approved addition of additional 35,000 workers for the H-2B visa,” the publication quoted US Tech Workers as saying in the letter.
While the H-1B visa is primarily used to bring in highly skilled workers to the US, the H-2B visa is used mainly for farm workers, primarily from Latin America. Worth mentioning here is that Indian techies bag most of the H-1B visas granted every year. Hence, if the work-visa programme is suspended for the current year, then it will impact Indian IT companies the most as they use the visa to deploy Indian engineers at the client's site in the US.
When contacted, IT industry association Nasscom declined to comment on US Tech Workers’ stance on H1-B visas, although it pointed out that the H-1B visas “fulfil an acknowledged critical skills gap for all global companies in the US market....”
It may be noted that Nasscom has requested the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for a 90-day grace period for tech professionals to leave the US following expiry of their visas. The current limit is 60 days. Other firms representing tech workers have asked for it to be extended to 180 days, citing the rising number of layoffs and economic uncertainty.
https://www.timesnownews.com/busine...-h-1b-visa-programme-amid-layoff-fears/572847
If the work-visa programme is suspended for the current year, then it will impact Indian IT companies the most as they use the visa to deploy Indian engineers at the client's site in the US.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Unemployment claims had gone up to 3 million in the previous week, with projections showing that this could rise further by another 30%.
- US Tech Workers has urged to pause both the H-1B and H-2B visa programme this year
- The anti-immigration technology workers' group believes that unemployment problem will rise further in US if another 85,000 migrant workers come through H-1B visa this year.
New Delhi: Following the outbreak of Covid-19 virus, which has infected more than 2 lakh in the U.S so far, a US-based anti-immigration technology workers group has requested Donald Trump to suspended the H-1B work-visa programme for the current year. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 virus more and more people are losing jobs in the country.
According to a report in the Economic Times, US Tech Workers, a non-profit organisation, which advocates more local hiring, has written to the US President saying unemployment claims had gone up to 3 million in the previous week, with projections showing that this could rise further by another 30%.
“We urge you to pause the H-1B visa programme that would bring in 85,000 workers this year and suspend the recently approved addition of additional 35,000 workers for the H-2B visa,” the publication quoted US Tech Workers as saying in the letter.
While the H-1B visa is primarily used to bring in highly skilled workers to the US, the H-2B visa is used mainly for farm workers, primarily from Latin America. Worth mentioning here is that Indian techies bag most of the H-1B visas granted every year. Hence, if the work-visa programme is suspended for the current year, then it will impact Indian IT companies the most as they use the visa to deploy Indian engineers at the client's site in the US.
When contacted, IT industry association Nasscom declined to comment on US Tech Workers’ stance on H1-B visas, although it pointed out that the H-1B visas “fulfil an acknowledged critical skills gap for all global companies in the US market....”
It may be noted that Nasscom has requested the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for a 90-day grace period for tech professionals to leave the US following expiry of their visas. The current limit is 60 days. Other firms representing tech workers have asked for it to be extended to 180 days, citing the rising number of layoffs and economic uncertainty.
https://www.timesnownews.com/busine...-h-1b-visa-programme-amid-layoff-fears/572847
