E-Paper
Panic among Indian H-1B visa holders? Google, Amazon, Microsoft caution H-1B visa staff amid Trump's strict policies
Tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon have issued a warning to their H1-B Visa staff amid increasing uncertainty around US' new immigrants policies.
Tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon have issued a warning to their H1-B Visa staff amid increasing uncertainty around Trump government new immigrants policies. Notably, Indian tech workers represent the most significant number of H-1B visa holders in the United States.
According to Washington Post, major IT companies are already cautioning their employees about visas to avoid leaving the country or traveling abroad due to worries that they would not be permitted to return.
The H-1B program, which uses a lottery system to approve about 65,000 visas a year, plays crucial role in US IT industry that is highly dependent on foreign labor, particularly Indians. The majority of these permits are given to Indians, followed by Chinese and Canadian citizens. Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple are among the major employers.
Is it a bad news for Indian H-1B visa holders?
Two H-1B holders informed the Washington Post that they had canceled their plans to visit India because they were worried about being denied re-entry into the US. According to the Post, one Indian employee voiced concerns about the Trump administration's decision to revoke birthright citizenship, fearing that if the legislation is altered, any future children may become stateless and neither Indian nor American.
Another Indian H-1B worker told the outlet, “There is an assumption that everybody who is not a US citizen might be here illegally.”
Indian H-1B visa holders are reportedly facing additional difficulties as a result of the uncertainty caused by Trump's enforcement of strict visa regulations. Some employees claim that they are now required to carry documents at all times while they are in public.
A Silicon Valley human resources representative told the Post that businesses are footing the bill for faster visa extension processing in order to offset delays.
While Trump has lately shown support for the H-1B visa, Indian workers are concerned about his administration's overall immigration policies.
