Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has urged the United States government to change its stance on H-1B visa holders as they contribute highly to the US economy, PTI reported on Sunday.
“Those coming from India on H-1B visas are high-value professionals who contribute immensely to the US economy,” Jaitley, who is in Washington to attend the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, said. “They are not illegal economic immigrants, about whom there are concerns in the US. They come here legally.”
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant permit that allows companies in the US to employ foreign workers in occupations that need specialised skills. Information technology companies rely heavily on this work visa to hire employees from overseas every year.
Jaitley met the United States’ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and conveyed India’s concerns to the United States and urged for reforms in the visa processes. Jaitley added, “So, when the United States decides its visa policy, the country must decide it in relation to these people appropriately.”
India sends the most H-1B workers to the US. The Indian government has been attempting to lobby with the White House to reconsider its decision to tighten H-1B rules.
In September, the United States resumed fast processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, five months after suspending it because of a huge rush of applications. In March, the US had announced that it was suspending the fast processing option for H-1B visa applications received on or after April 3. This was done with the aim to allow firms to bring in highly-skilled workers in a few weeks, rather than over several months, for an additional amount of money.
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