Nasscom says H1-B visa professionals not cheap labour, make up for talent shortage in US

President Donald Trump signed an executive order of ‘buy American and hire American’, for the latter part of which he called on the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to “propose new rules and issue new guidance, to supersede or revise previous rules and guidance if appropriate, to protect the interests of United States workers in the administration of our immigration system, including through the prevention of fraud or abuse.”

He also asked them to “suggest reforms to help ensure that H-1B visas are awarded to the most-skilled or highest-paid petition beneficiaries.”

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This clearly means that Trump wants the federal bureaucracy to enforce stringent visa laws, while suggesting new ways to reform and restrict the H-1B system.

National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), the trade association of Indian IT and BPO industries, has reacted to the order by saying that member companies support the Trump administration’s efforts to root out the misuse of the H-1B system, saying that NASSCOM member companies abide by all applicable laws and regulations.

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Trump government’s current campaign is harming the reputation of Indian IT and BPO sector by persistent myths and ideas like H-1B visa holders from India are “cheap labor” who “displace American workers,” none of which is accurate. The Delhi-headquartered association goes on to say that at the core of this matter lies the shortage of highly-skilled domestic talent in the United States, in IT, healthcare, education, and other fields.

It is this shortage that has led to the H-1B visa system, and tightening these rules beyond limit would hurt thousands of U.S. businesses and their efforts to be more competitive by hindering access to needed talent.

Also read: Indian IT firms may face layoffs due to H-1B visa curbs


The statement adds that NASSCOM will be prepared to comment on all the future changes that would be brought in by the US government.


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