There is no change in H-1B visa policy: US official
What's the story
There is no change in the US' H-1B visa policy which is currently undergoing a review to ensure that it does not disadvantage US workers or wages, a senior Trump Administration official has said. This comes ahead of the 2+2 Dialogue next week during which India is expected to raise the issue of the work visa popular among Indian IT professionals. Here's more.
H-1B visa
H-1B visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire employees each year from countries like India and China. The Trump administration is pushing for a reform saying some IT companies were abusing the US work visas to deny jobs to American workers.
Temporary suspension
US extended temporary suspension of premium processing for H-1B visas
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior official of the administration acknowledged that it was prepared for India raising the H-1B issue at the 2+2 Dialogue, but added that it would not have much to say as the policy remained the same and was undergoing review. The US has extended by over five months the temporary suspension of premium processing for H-1B visas.
Review of H-1B
Trump Administration called for a broad review of H-1B
"Trump Administration's executive order has called for a broad review of the US worker visa programme known as H-1B in the interest of ensuring that they are administered in a way that doesn't disadvantage US workers or wages," the official said. "But there has been no change to the processing of H-1B visas. It is an issue that is important to India," he said.
Information
Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue at 2+2 Dialogue
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha last month that India was taking up the issue with the White House as well as with US Congressmen. "We will raise it humbly at the 2+2 Dialogue on September 6 in New Delhi," she said.
The petitions
USCIS received 2.2 million H-1B petitions between 2007 and 2017
The H-1B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 each fiscal year as mandated by the Congress. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master's degree or higher are exempt from the cap. Between 2007 and 2017, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received the maximum number of 2.2 million H-1B petitions from high-skilled Indians.
Exemption
Denial of H-1B visa petitions of Indians has been increased
H-1B workers who are petitioned for or employed at an institution of higher education or related nonprofit research organization or a government research organization are not subject to this numerical cap. In July, a report by an American non-profit body claimed that there has been a substantial increase in denial of H-1B visa petitions of Indians by the US Immigration authority.