Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>Among Indian IT companies in the US nearly 80,000 employees are there on visas with the majority using the coveted H-1B. </li><li>TCS has the largest number of employees in the US within Indian IT services companies but only 40% are on the H-1B visa. </li><li>Tech Mahindra and Cognizant half a great dependency with nearly of their US staff on H-1B. </li></ul>In a bid to protect American jobs, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 22 introducing restrictions on new visa applications — including the IT sector’s coveted H-1B visa. There are currently 79,649 Indians working with Indian IT companies — including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, <keyword id="30331" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="HCL-Technologies">HCL Technologies</keyword> and Wipro — on visas in the US. While the new visa restrictions don’t impact people who are existing visa holders, Japanese brokerage firm Nomura points out that it could lead to a further increase in the rejection rates of renewals. Renewal rejection rate has already been on the rise over the past five years increasing from around 4% in 2016 to nearly 21% in 2020 for Indian IT companies. <div type="image" title="staff on h-1b visas (2)" msid="76638407" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Company-wise headcount of employees in the US on H-1B visas&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> TCS has the largest number of people working in the US as compared to other IT companies with 54,874 employees. On the total strength, only 40% are on visa; the rest are local employees. Within those who are in the US on a visa, 85% are on an H-1B visa — the others are on L-1 visas. Like TCS, Infosys too only has 40% visa holders as US staff. Tech Mahindra and Cognizant are the only two companies with half of their employees in the US on visas. Wipro and HCL Tech was a lower dependency on the visa with only 35% of their staff in the US being non-local. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Staff in the US </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Staff on L-1 visa </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Staff on H-1B visa </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Local staff </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">% on visa </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TCS </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">54,874 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2,195 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19,755 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">32,924 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">40% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Cognizant </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">54,183 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2,709 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">24,382 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">27,091 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">50% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Infosys </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">36,228 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,449 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">13,042 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21,737 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">40% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Wipro </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">28,662 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,003 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">9,029 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">18,630 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">35% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HCL Tech </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">22,855 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">800 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,199 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14,856 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">35% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tech Mahindra </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14,687 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,102 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6,242 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,343 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">50% </td></tr></tbody></table> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sundar-pichai-satya-nadella-indra-nooyi-and-even-melania-trump-entered-the-us-on-the-same-h-1b-visa-that-donald-trump-is-suspending/articleshow/76531744.cms">Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Indra Nooyi and even Melania Trump entered the US on the same H-1B visa that Donald Trump's suspending</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/googles-sundar-pichai-facebook-and-amazon-heres-how-american-companies-reacted-to-donald-trumps-h1-b-visa-freeze/articleshow/76522530.cms">Google’s Sundar Pichai, Facebook and Amazon — here’s how American companies reacted to Donald Trump’s H1-B visa freeze</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/donald-trumps-h-1b-visa-ban-incites-a-sharp-reaction-from-indian-tech-company-like-wipro-tcs-infosys-tech-mahindra/articleshow/76524525.cms">Donald Trump's H-1B visa ban incites a sharp reaction from India's tech lobby</a>

Nearly 80,000 Indians with H-1B visas work for TCS, Infosys and other Indian IT companies — here's a company-wise breakup

As the US Government launched a probe against <keyword id="6354512" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> and <keyword id="6357585" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tata-Consultancy-Services">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> (TCS) into possible violations of <keyword id="2896546" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="H1-B-visa-rules">H1-B visa rules</keyword> for foreign technology workers under contracts they held with Southern California Edison, similar agreements signed will be probed as well. 
 
As per reports, the electric utility firm had laid off more than 500 technology workers to train replacements who were immigrants on temporary visas, known as H-1B, brought in by the Indian firms. 
 Meanwhile, the latest pact to be scrutinised is one with Walt Disney, which recently signed a deal with US-based <keyword id="28721" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword> Technology Solutions. Other recent agreements with companies like Fossil are also being investigated, people familiar with the probes told Economic Times. 
 
IT industry body NASSCOM said an investigation could have long-term ramifications on future contracts between US corporations and Indian IT firms and that it would intensify efforts to resolve the issue. 
 
"Undoubtedly (these probes) would have a damaging impact on future business. It is a serious concern," NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar told Economic Times. 
 
He added this has the potential of seriously destabilising the way the sector does business. “Frankly, we are also dismayed by the way a hostile business environment is being created," Chandrashekhar told the financial daily. 
 
Cognizant did not comment on the matter. 
 
However, Indian IT companies vehemently denied the wrongdoing. 
 
Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told PTI the government would intervene in this issue of alleged visa violations, if required. He said the government was confident that TCS and Infosys would address the matter. 
 
Meanwhile, US media reports, citing Senators Dick Durbin and Jeff Sessions stated the US Labour Department planned to investigate whether top outsourcing corporations could use H-1B visa workers to replace fulltime technology workers. 
 
"A number of US employers, including some large, well-known, publicly traded corporations, have laid off thousands of American workers and replaced them with H-1B visa holders. To add insult to injury, many of the replaced American employees report that they have been forced to train the foreign workers who are taking their jobs," the senators said. 
 
India's $146-billion IT industry is struggling to match the explosive growth rates that it enjoyed in the 2000s amid volatile currency fluctuations that hammered profits and margins of all top Indian IT firms in the March quarter. 
 
According to Computerworld, the Disney ABC Television Group cancelled a plan to farm out about 35 application developer jobs, amid a widespread outcry against outsourcing. 
 
"Disney is also part of the overall investigation -it's quite worrying for Indian IT firms, since a lot of other contracts that are being signed now are also going to be in the spotlight," an analyst with a top US-based research firm told ET. 
 
Experts said the debate on outsourcing will heat up in coming months with the US elections on the horizon. 
 
Infosys and TCS issued statements saying they are fully compliant with US immigration and visa laws. 
 
"Infosys is committed to complying with US immigration laws. The US Department of Labour (DOL) regularly selects a percentage of visa and labour condition applications for extra scrutiny in this industry, and we work closely with the DOL to assist them in this activity in the ordinary course of our business. We have received no indication of any broader investigation of Infosys visa practices," Infosys said. TCS said that the company "maintains rigorous internal controls to ensure we are fully compliant with all regulatory requirements related to the US immigration laws." 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

After TCS, Infosys, US Government to probe more pacts for H1-B visa rule violations

<ul><li>The Indian IT companies — <keyword id="28721" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword>, <keyword id="10863" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="CapGemini">Capgemini</keyword>, Accenture, Wipro and <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> — faced over 30% visa rejections during the first three quarters of 2020 fiscal, shows a survey by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). </li><li>With most of its workforce in India, Cognizant witnessed maximum denial rate at 60%.</li><li>NFAP reported a fourfold increase in the US visa rejections as compared to 2015 fiscal — at 24%. </li></ul>Under the Trump administration, increasing rejection rates for <keyword id="931341" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="H1-B-visas">H1-B visas</keyword> is throwing up hurdles, especially for the IT majors. The Indian IT companies — Cognizant, Capgemini, Accenture, Wipro and Infosys — faced <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/us-makes-getting-h-1b-visa-harder-indian-techies-hit-1614037-2019-10-30">over 30% visa rejections</a> during the first three quarters of 2020 fiscal, shows a survey by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). Cognizant witnessed maximum denial rate at 60%. In 2018, Cognizant faced nearly 3,548 rejections for work visas extension, which is so far the highest for any company hiring foreign employees. “The denial rates for H-1B petitions have increased because USCIS has changed the standards for approval without new regulations or Congress passing a new law,” Stuart Anderson, executive director of NFAP <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visa-and-immigration/a-fourth-of-all-new-h-1b-visa-requests-rejected/articleshow/71812876.cms">told</a> ET. The study data is in contrast with the data by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which said that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/despite-tighter-norms-the-us-approves-389000-h1-b-visas-this-year/articleshow/71574716.cms">US approved more H1-B visas</a> this year — both entry level and work visa extensions. It said that it extended over 389,000 visas in 2019 fiscal — higher than 335,000 visas approved last year. NFAP data says that US visa rejections grew from 6% in 2015 to 24% in 2019. Indian IT employees account for over 70% of the H1-B visas. Adding to this, the US also announced that it will prefer professionals with a US master's degree when it comes to extending visas. Last year, Deloitte Consulting and Apple received the most number of H1-B visas, while only HCL from India made it to the top 10 list with a total of 5,085 certifications in the US, a<a href="https://trak.in/tags/business/2019/02/16/deloitte-apple-grab-most-number-of-h1b-visas-hcl-only-indian-company-in-top-10-list/">ccording to</a> data with the US Department of Labour. H1-B work visas are initially provided for three years — but can be extended for a similar term later. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/despite-tighter-norms-the-us-approves-389000-h1-b-visas-this-year/articleshow/71574716.cms">Despite tighter norms, the US approves 389,000 H1-B visas this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-us-government-wants-to-check-social-media-handles-before-giving-a-green-card/articleshow/71003314.cms">The US government wants to check social media handles before giving a green card</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indians-studying-in-the-uk-have-doubled-in-the-last-three-years/articleshow/70804829.cms">Indians studying in the UK have doubled in the last three years</a>

H-1B visa rejection rates rise sharply — 30% of Cognizant, Capgemini, Accenture, Wipro and Infosys applications denied

<ul><li>New <keyword id="2896546" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="H1-B-visa-rules">H1-B visa rules</keyword> have been an unwelcome change for Indian IT firms with new visas as well as renewals, according to data by Centre for Immigration Studies. </li><li>Homegrown IT majors TCS and <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> faced maximum rejections for extension of the work work visas. </li><li>According to the US Department of Labour, Deloitte Consulting and Apple received the maximum work permits. </li><li>Six Indian IT outsourcing companies — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, <keyword id="28721" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword>, HCL and US arm of Tech Mahindra — got only 2,145 work permits, which was 16% of total work visas bagged by companies.</li></ul>Under the Trump administration, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/h-1b-visa-revised-rules-go-into-effect-on-april-1-favouring-advanced-degree-applicants/articleshow/67768709.cms">new H1-B visa rules</a> have brought new challenges for applicants of these temporary work visas, heavily used by Indian IT majors. Now, it appears that renewal of these work visas has also thrown up hurdles, particularly hurting Indian IT majors. According to the Centre for Immigration Studies, a US-based think tank, top IT firms Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and Infosys faced the most <a href="https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/corporate/indian-it-firms-see-higher-h-1b-visa-extension-rejections-us-firms-get-more-visas/68310179">rejections </a>in extension of H1-B work visas in 2018. H1-B work visas are initially provided for three years — but can be extended for a similar term later. With most of its workforce in India, Cognizant witnessed nearly 3,548 rejections for extension of these work visas in the year, which is so far the highest for any company hiring foreign employees. While the homegrown ITs Infosys and TCS saw 2,042 and 1,744 rejections, respectively, said the report. Analysing a broader range of top 30 IT companies, the analysis also found that the six major outsourcing companies — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, HCL and US arm of Tech Mahindra — constitute nearly two-third of extensions for work visas. The six outsourcing companies got only 2,145 work permits, which is 16% of total work visas bagged by all companies. On the flipside, several US-based technology companies — Microsoft, Amazon and Apple-- were able to increase their foreign work staff via the new H1-B rules, showing the new regulation in fact benefitted the American companies, noted the report. A<a href="https://trak.in/tags/business/2019/02/16/deloitte-apple-grab-most-number-of-h1b-visas-hcl-only-indian-company-in-top-10-list/">ccording to</a> data with the the US Department of Labour, Deloitte Consulting and Apple received the most number of H1-B visas, while only HCL from India made it to the top 10 list with a total of 5,085 certifications in US. However, many legal experts point that Indian ITs are the largest consumers of H1-B visa. But recent moves by the US government point to growing protectionism. Indian IT companies have also faced backlash by locals for allegedly discriminating against American workers. On Thursday, alleging discrimination at workplace, a US employee filed a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/its-cognizants-turn-to-face-us-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination/articleshow/68296041.cms">lawsuit</a> against Cognizant for calling an American a ‘diversity candidate.’ “Protectionism happens without making any policy changes to favour their own companies. This slant is not unusual. This has happened under President Barack Obama, not just under Donald Trump,” ET<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visa-and-immigration/h-1b-extension-rejections-rob-indian-it-firms-of-visa-power/articleshow/68312136.cms"> reported</a> citing Sid Pai, founder of Siana Capital, who has led outsourcing deals of over $ 20 billion in the past. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/h-1b-visa-revised-rules-go-into-effect-on-april-1-favouring-advanced-degree-applicants/articleshow/67768709.cms">New H-1B rules to go into effect on April 1, visas for advanced degree holders expected to jump 16%</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/trump-may-have-an-ugly-surprise-for-h-1b-applicants-and-indian-it-companies/articleshow/67552613.cms">Trump may have an ugly surprise for H-1B visa applicants</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indians-seeking-uk-visa-will-now-have-to-shell-out-a-lot-more/articleshow/67435527.cms">Indians seeking UK visa will now have to shell out a lot more</a>

New H1-B rules bring more rejections on work visa renewals

A senior official in the US has accused <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=TCS&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Tata Consultancy Services</a> (<keyword id="6357150" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="TCS">TCS</keyword>) and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=infosys&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Infosys</a> of violating <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=H1B+visa&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">H1-B</a> visa norms, saying they put in extra tickets in lottery system more than they get. As per a transcript of a briefing, posted on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=white+house&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">White House</a> website, the senior official said TCS and <keyword id="6354512" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> corner lion's share of H-1B visas. "You may know their names well, but like the top recipients of the H-1B visa are companies like Tata, Infosys, <keyword id="28721" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword> -- they will apply for a very large number of visas, more than they get, by putting extra tickets in the lottery raffle, if you will, and then they'll get the lion's share of visas," the senior official said, according to transcript of the briefing posted on White House website. Responding to a follow up on why Indian companies were singled out for a mention, the White House response said <keyword id="6357585" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Consultancy-Services">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword>, Infosys and Cognizant were the top three recipients of H-1B visas. "And those three companies are companies that have an average wage for H-1B visas between USD 60,000 and USD 65,000 (a year). By contrast, the median Silicon Valley software engineer's wage is probably around USD 150,000," the official said. He said contracting firms that are not skills employers, who oftentimes use workers for entry-level positions, capture the lion's share of H-1B visas. "And that's all public record." All the three Indian firms refused to comment on the US administration comment. The official said H-1B visas presently were awarded through random lottery with about 80 per cent of H-1B workers being paid less than the median wage in their fields.

US says TCS, Infosys apply for very large number of visas, accuses them of violating H-1B visa norms

<ul><li>The US government is relaxing its restriction on the entry of <keyword id="6358066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="h-1b-visa">H-1B visa</keyword> holders into the country but based on some terms and conditions. </li><li>Terms and conditions include resuming existing employment and proving that absence of the H-1B visa holder would result in a serious financial loss to the company. </li><li>The move comes just one day after tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft decided to support the lawsuit filed against the visa suspension by 174 Indian families. </li></ul>Indian H-1B visa holders will finally be able to return to the US with the country’s State Department relaxing the visa restrictions issued by US President Donald Trump last month. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="77120776" title="The H1-B visa ban is not what Indian IT firms want⁠— but they are pocketing some savings while it lasts" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The move comes just one day after tech giants in the US — including Facebook, Google, and Microsoft — decided to back the lawsuit filed on behalf of 174 Indian families against Trump’s proclamation. But, not everybody will make the cut. The State Department has added some terms and conditions that will determine the eligibility of an H1-B applicant’s necessity to return to the US. The problem with these requirements is that they do not appear in US laws and are completely arbitrary. Despite that, employers and employees alike consider the move an improvement over the status quo. India’s leading tech lobby NASSCOM remains ‘cautiously optimistic’. “NASSCOM welcomes this move and believes it will help US businesses access talent critical to the economic recovery phase in the post-COVID world,” it said in a statement. H-1B visa holders can only return to the US if they already have a job there To travel back to the US on an H-1B visa, one has to be resuming ongoing employment, be a technical specialist, a COVID-19 researcher, or a public healthcare worker in order to qualify for travel. Who can travel back to the US on an H-1B visa: <ol><li>Applicants seeking to resume ongoing employment </li><li>Technical specialists </li><li>Public health or healthcare professionals </li><li>COVID 19 researcher </li><li>“Other workers whose travel is necessary to facilitate the immediate and continued economic recovery of the United States.” </li><li>Dependents — spouses and children — will be allowed to travel with visa holders (End graphic) </li></ol>Assuming that the above criterion is met, there are still a few more hoops to jump through. How will the US State Department determine that you’re ‘unique’? Even if an H-1B applicant wants to return to their existing job, they have to prove themselves to be unique. The US State Department has listed five criteria, and at least two must be met for applicants to be considered. Terms and conditions for H1-B visa holders to return to the US: <ul><li>They cannot do their job remotely. </li><li>Income meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage rate by at least 15% indicating that they can’t be replaced by an American worker. </li><li>Proposed job duties or position within the company indicates significant and unique contributions to an employer meeting a critical infrastructure need. </li><li>Education, training, and experience demonstrate unusual expertise </li><li>Denial of the visa will cause financial hardship to the U.S. employer. (End graphic) </li></ul>Critical infrastructure sectors include chemical, communications, emergency services, energy, financial services, transportation, and water systems, among other areas. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/sbi-icici-bank-axis-kotak-and-others-have-plans-to-raise-14-billion-but-if-things-go-haywire-they-could-need-three-times-more/articleshow/77506879.cms">SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis, Kotak and others have plans to raise $14 billion — but if things go haywire, they could need three times more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/prime-minister-narendra-modi-speech-highlights-on-indias-new-tax/articleshow/77518678.cms">India’s ‘Transparent Taxation’ charter — Highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/what-is-new-taxpayer-charter-and-faceless-scrutiny-in-tax/articleshow/77518551.cms">India's new tax charter promises 'faceless' scrutiny — Here's what that means</a>

US eases H-1B visa norms a day after tech giants back immigration lawsuit — NASSCOM ‘cautiously optimistic’

<ul><li>US President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> is expected to announce suspension of H1B, L1 and other temporary work visas.</li><li>The suspension is expected to be announced hours ahead of Trump's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.</li><li>The suspension will not affect those already in the US, the report states.</li></ul>US President Donald Trump said that he will be announcing new visa restrictions in coming days. We're going to be announcing something tomorrow or the next day on visas," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying in a Fox News interview on Sunday. He however declined to give any details but acknowledged that there will be some exclusions. "You need them for big businesses where they have certain people that have been coming in for a long time, but very little exclusion and they're pretty tight," he said. "And we may even go very tight for a period of time." Fox News Chief White House correspondent John Roberts tweeted that the restrictions will be imposed on H-1B, H-2B, L-1 and J-1 visas. H-1B visas are designed for certain skilled workers such as those employed in science, engineering, and information technology fields, while H-2B visas are given to seasonal workers such as hotel and construction staff. L-1 visas are meant for executives who work for large corporations and J-1 visas are issued to research scholars, professors and other cultural and work-exchange programs. Trump will reportedly sign an executive order to suspend the visas through the end of the year, as the administration is addressing a major economic fallout, including high unemployment among Americans, amid the coronavirus pandemic. That would be Trump's latest step to restrict immigration. In April, he temporarily halted the issuance of US green cards to some foreigners. Trump, who has maintained a hardline stance on immigration and used that to appeal to his voters, has been accused of using the pandemic to promote his political agenda.

US President Donald Trump to suspend H1B visas, will not affect those already in the states

<ul><li>US President Donald Trump’s wife first entered the country on an <keyword id="6358066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="h-1b-visa">H-1B visa</keyword> — the same work visa that Trump wants to make ‘merit-based’ and has suspended till the end of 2020. </li><li>Even Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, sustained their stay in the US on H-1B visas. </li><li>Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gave back his green card for an H-1B visa so that his wife could join him in the US without having to revoke her own visa. </li></ul>US President Donald Trump’s attempts to reform visa regulations and his most recent freeze on issuing new visas, including the coveted H-1B work visa, may come as a surprise when one learns that some of the most notable names in the US made their way to the country on H-1B visas — including his own wise Melania Trump. Many of global leading names from the US from their way to the ‘land of the free’ through H-1B visas — including Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi. Melania Trump’s H-1B story Melania Trump, sustained her stay in the US on a series of H1-B work visas. She apparently made her way to the US in August 1996 to pursue a career in modelling. Two months later, she obtained an H-1B visa that allowed her to work in the States for a year. After that, she was able to get five H-1B visas over the next five years, according to <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/16/melania-trumps-einstein-visa-and-chain-migration-detailed-in-new-book/">Mary Jordan</a>’s book ‘The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump’. It was only in 2001 that she received an ‘<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43256318">Einstein Visa</a>’ — also called the EB-1 visa — reserved for immigrants with ‘extraordinary ability’ and ‘sustained national and international acclaim’. This was after she started dating Donald Trump in 1998 and her lawyer has never published the details of her application. But without the initial line of H-1B visas, Melania would have never met Trump in the first place. Best of the best in the US have come in on H-1B visas Pichai is originally from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. He initially moved to the US on an F1 student visa after being accepted into Stanford University. Once he was employed with McKinsey &amp; Co. — just before joining Google — he was on an H-1B visa. He’s now a US citizen after being a green card holder for five years. Nadella too was born in Hyderabad before heading to the US to study electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin. Even though he was a green card holder in 1993 when he married his wife, he went to H-1B status to that she could come to the States and join him. Around the campus, he was known as “the guy who gave up his green card,” he writes in his book ‘<a href="https://www.firstpost.com/world/all-for-love-when-satya-nadella-surrendered-his-green-card-for-h1-b-visa-4083165.html">Hit Refresh</a>’. Like Pichai, Nooyi was also born in Tamil Nadu but in the capital city of Madras. After working and Johnson and Johnson India, she left for the US to study at Yale. In 1980, she went to work from the <a href="https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-Ko-Pr/Nooyi-Indra.html">Boston Consulting Group on an H-1B visa.</a> Another fourteen years down the line, she joined PepsiCo as senior vice president of corporate strategy and development becoming president and CFO by 2001 — and CEO by 2006. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/googles-sundar-pichai-facebook-and-amazon-heres-how-american-companies-reacted-to-donald-trumps-h1-b-visa-freeze/articleshow/76522530.cms">Google’s Sundar Pichai, Facebook and Amazon — here’s how American companies reacted to Donald Trump’s H1-B visa freeze</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/donald-trumps-h-1b-visa-ban-incites-a-sharp-reaction-from-indian-tech-company-like-wipro-tcs-infosys-tech-mahindra/articleshow/76524525.cms">Donald Trump's H-1B visa ban incites a sharp reaction from India's tech lobby</a>

Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Indra Nooyi and even Melania Trump entered the US on the same H-1B visa that Donald Trump's suspending

<ul><li>H1-B denial rates for initial petitions have increased from 6% in 2015 to 32% within the first quarter of 2019. </li><li>Attorneys and employers believe it’s because the United States Citizenship and Immigation Services has increased the standard of proof the approval of H1-B visas.</li><li>Top companies, like Amazon, witnessed their denial rate skyrocket from 3% to over 30% for continuing H1-B petitions.</li></ul>Denial rates for H-1B petitions is at an all time high and attorneys believe its because the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/h-1b-data-hub">increased</a> the standard of proof for approval without the requisite legal authority. H1-B denial rates for initial petitions have increased four times between 2015 to 2018, from 6% to 24%. The denial rates have spiked further to 32% in the first quarter of 2019 . An analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) <a href="https://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/H-1B-Denial-Rates-Past-and-Present.NFAP-Policy-Brief.April-2019.pdf">states</a> that, in contrast, denial rates have never exceeded 8% in the years between 2010 and 2015. 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype=""><cdata><![CDATA[
<div class="flourish-embed" data-src="visualisation/296909"></div>
]]></cdata></div>







 Even for people who already have H-1B visas, the denial rate for continuing petitions have trebled to 18% from a mere 3% in 2015. For eight years, between 2009 to 2017, the upper threshold for denial rates for such requests was 6%. 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype=""><cdata><![CDATA[
<div class="flourish-embed" data-src="visualisation/296931"></div>
]]></cdata></div>







 The e-commerce giant, Amazon, saw a 17% denial rate on 228 H1-B petitions for continuing H1-B. In fact, almost every top employer on USCIS’ list saw an increase in their denials — in some cases, jumping from 2% to over 30%. Trump said that he wanted more ‘highly skilled’ immigrants to come to the US when he <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-executive-order-buy-american-hire-american/">issued</a> the ‘Buy American, Hire American’ executive order in 2017. Indian applicants, in particular, have a lot at stake. Over 75% of all H-1B visa applications <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indians-accounted-for-75-of-all-h1b-visas-in-the-us-in-the-last-two-years/articleshow/64079333.cms">between</a> 2016 and 2018 were from India. The April 2017 executive order <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/trump-may-have-an-ugly-surprise-for-h-1b-applicants-and-indian-it-companies/articleshow/67552613.cms">left</a> 65,000 people out of the general quota reducing the number of visas available to less-skilled workers usually employed by the Indian IT companies. But, in reality, lawyers have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/trump-said-he-wanted-more-highly-skilled-immigrants-to-come-to-the-us-but-skilled-educated-foreign-workers-are-leaving-the-us-dejected-saying-trump-doomed-their-american-dreams-leaving-businesses-in-the-lurch-/articleshow/68234469.cms">observed </a>an increase in the denial rate of H1-B visas for skilled applicants as well. Dejected candidates have reportedly been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/skilled-foreign-workers-are-giving-up-on-their-american-dreams-and-turning-to-canada/articleshow/68659342.cms">shifting</a> their aspirations to aim for a Canadian visa. The sudden and sharp increase in H1-B denials raises serious legal and policy questions <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/04/10/new-data-show-h-1b-denial-rates-reaching-highest-levels/#36bccee6797f">according</a> to Willam Stock, a founding member of Klasko Immigration Law Partners, who reviewed the data for Forbes. Stock explains, "One thing that is clear to me is that the data backs up what employers have been saying for the last two years: USCIS has raised the legal standard they use to decide whether enough evidence has been presented with petitions to approve them, without any legal authority to do so and without any notice to the public." The consequence of such high denial rates can have an impact on international students, expanding businesses, and applicants awaiting their green card approval. NFAP noted that only 20% of full-time computer science and electrical engineering students in US universities are actually citizens of the US. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/skilled-foreign-workers-are-giving-up-on-their-american-dreams-and-turning-to-canada/articleshow/68659342.cms">Skilled, foreign workers are giving up on their American dreams - and turning to Canada</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/Rejections-for-standard-work-visas-have-shot-up-under-the-Trump-administration-but-some-companies-have-avoided-the-trend/articleshow/68143712.cms?utm_source=ten_minutes_with&amp;utm_medium=Referral&amp;utm_campaign=Content_Patnership">Rejections for standard work-visas have shot up under the Trump administration, but some companies have avoided the trend</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indians-accounted-for-75-of-all-h1b-visas-in-the-us-in-the-last-two-years/articleshow/64079333.cms">Indians accounted for 75% of all H1B visas in the US in the last two years</a>

US Immigration is denying more H1-B visas than ever before — without notice or authority

<ul><li>Senator Mike Lee said on Wednesday: "By the time we stretch this (backlogs) out to 2030, the 195-year backlog I mentioned a moment ago would be extended out to a 400- to 450-year backlog."</li><li>Lee gave these wait times while opposing a Democratic bill that would protect the children of those on H1-B and other employment visas who are waiting for their green cards from being deported when they turn 21.</li><li>He said that with such long wait times, the children would not be able to qualify for green cards in their lifetimes and, instead, a comprehensive reform is needed.</li></ul> The wait time for green cards for Indians professionals stuck in the "awful, hellish green card backlog" could go up from the current 195 years to 450 years in ten years without a comprehensive reform of the immigration system, a Republican Senator has warned. Senator Mike Lee said on Wednesday: "By the time we stretch this (backlogs) out to 2030, the 195-year backlog I mentioned a moment ago would be extended out to a 400- to 450-year backlog." He said that for those filing for green cards "in 2020, the wait for an EB2 green card is not, in fact, 20 to 30 years for an Indian national. What is it, then? Is it 30? Is it 40, 50, 60? No, it is much longer than that. It is 195 years. This means that someone from India entering the backlog today would have to wait 195 years to receive an EB3 green card." EB2 green cards - the permanent immigration visa leading to citizenship - are for those with advanced degrees and EB3 for skilled and professional workers. The annual green card quota for India and most countries is about 26,000. Lee gave these wait times while opposing a Democratic bill that would protect the children of those on H1-B and other employment visas who are waiting for their green cards from being deported when they turn 21. He said that with such long wait times, the children would not be able to qualify for green cards in their lifetimes and, instead, a comprehensive reform is needed. When children turn 21, they are no longer considered dependents and will lose their visa status based on their parents' visas as well as their claim to a green card and the Protect Children of Immigrant Workers Act proposed by Democrat Senator Dick Durbin seeks to remedy this. While the cause of children who came to the US illegally has a lot of political support, the children who came in legally but reached adulthood has been under the radar and Durbin's bill proposes a parallel remedy. Durbin said that without increasing the total number of green cards, it would not be possible to deal with the huge backlogs and the decades-long wait times. He said, "Just do the math; 140,000 EB (employment) visas and 226,000 family visas per year and 5 million people waiting. If you think you can solve this without changing the number of green cards, you can't." He said that Lee told him that many Republicans opposed increasing the number of green cards that can be issued in a year. Durbin's bill would also allow H1-B visa-holders to file early for green cards, freeing them to switch jobs without being held down by the employers who sponsored them for theAvisa. One of the compromises offered in Durbin's bill is to restrict H1-B visas for outsourcing companies. It would prohibit a company from hiring additional H-1B workers in the future if the company's workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 per cent of those are temporary workers. He said that eight of the top ten companies getting H1-B visas were outsourcing companies. Defending his opposition to Durbin's bill. Lee said that the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act he and Democratic Senator Kamala Harris have proposed would protect children, protects widows and widowers of H1-B visa-holders, while expediting green cards for all high-skilled immigrants. A version of the bill that would lift national quotas to allow Indian applicants for green cards to get access to more immigration visas has been passed by the House of Representatives, but has been blocked by Durbin and two Republicans. Durbin has said that lifting the national quota restrictions would only increase the wait times for other countries unless the number of green cards is increased. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/after-google-pwc-india-declares-a-company-wide-holiday-for-its-employees-this-friday-offers-time-off-for-a-well-deserved-break/articleshow/77125627.cms">After Google, PwC India declares a company-wide holiday for its employees this Friday – offers time off for a 'well-deserved' break</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/mukesh-ambani-is-now-the-fifth-richest-person-in-the-world-according-to-forbes/articleshow/77105843.cms">Mukesh Ambani is now the fifth richest person in the world, according to Forbes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-infosys-hcl-tech-dont-want-h1b-ban-but-are-pocketing-savings-while-it-lasts/articleshow/77120776.cms">The H1-B visa ban is not what Indian IT firms want⁠— but they are pocketing some savings while it lasts</a>

Green card wait time for Indians can go to 450 years by 2030, warns a Republican Senator

<ul><li>The <keyword id="640473" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Department-of-Homeland-Security">US Department of Homeland Security</keyword> is looking to replace the current H-1B lottery allotment system with a wage-based selection process. </li><li>It claims that the proposed rule prioritises higher salaries, keeps employers from exploiting the system, and improves the quality of migrant workers hired to come work in the US. </li><li>Companies like <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword>, Amazon, and Facebook have been fighting the temporary ban on H-1B visas. They will now have 30 days to submit their comments once the rule is published in the Federal Register. </li></ul>The US Department of Homeland Security is looking to revamp the current lottery system used to allot the technology sector’s favorite visa, the H-1B. Instead of random selection and baseline eligibility, the government is pitching for a wage-based selection process that will prioritise higher salaries. The department accused employees in the US of ‘exploiting and abusing’ the current system. It claims that instead of bringing the best and the brightest into the country, the random selection process is bringing in relatively lower-paid foreign labour at the expense of the US workforce. The department also justified that the new system will be more appropriate for the current crisis, where supply of foreign talent is more than demand. “If finalized as proposed, this new selection process would incentivize employers to offer higher wages or petition for positions requiring higher skills and higher-skilled workers instead of using the program to fill relatively lower-paid vacancies,” said the <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/10/28/dhs-trump-administration-protect-american-jobs-unfair-international-competition">notice. </a> US technology giants are fighting the change to visa rules tooth-and-nail Over 50 US technology companies — including big wigs like Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook — have taken a stand against the ban on the entry of foreign employees into the US. The legal brief challenges US President Donald Trump on the issue. It argues that visa restrictions will hurt the interest of businesses within the US and lead employees to hire workers outside the US instead of letting them work from within the country. These companies assert that instead of helping the debilitating state of the employment, the restrictions will only serve to damage the already struggling US economy further. However, one US court has already shot down an appeal filed by 169 Indian who challenged the ban. The US District Judge argued that those Indian IT companies, on the hand, have so far claimed that Trump’s <keyword id="6358066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="h-1b-visa">H-1B visa</keyword> ban does not have any immediate impact on their operations. However, Infosys and HCL Technologies, have shared that they are looking to near-shore locations within the time zone as the US to expand their operations, with Canada being a popular candidate. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="78884838" title="EXCLUSIVE: HCL Tech is expanding operations in Canada as H-1B visa issues persist" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Homeland Security’s proposal is yet to receive a response from stakeholders. Once the proposed regulation is published in the Federal Register, it will be open to public comment. Those looking to share their view will have 30 days to submit their comments about the rule and another 60 days to submit comments that may be relevant to the proposed information collection. “The Department will review all properly submitted comments, consider them carefully, and draft responses before issuing a final rule,” said the notice. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/2020-full-blue-moon-will-appear-on-halloween-for-the-first-time-in-76-years-heres-why-it-was-missing-for-so-long/articleshow/78950810.cms">The Full Blue Moon haunting of Halloween returns after 76 years — and here's why it was silent since World War II</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-amazon-twitter-and-facebook-remain-apprehensive-about-indias-new-data-laws-but-paytm-is-open-to-regulation/articleshow/78949708.cms">Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Facebook remain apprehensive about India’s new data laws but Paytm is open to regulation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/kepler-estimates-there-are-at-least-300-million-potentially-habitable-planets-within-the-milky-way-galaxy/articleshow/78946863.cms">Kepler estimates there are at least 300 million potentially habitable planets within the Milky Way galaxy</a>

US looks to replace H-1B visa lottery system with a wage-based selection process that will prioritise higher salaries

House Republicans aren't the only people rooting for the death of the Senate immigration bill. Ten thousand miles away, almost the entire Indian subcontinent is cheering on the bill's demise.
That’s because a coalition of domestic high-tech companies and pro-labor Democrats has twisted the worthy goal of knocking down America’s barriers to technical foreign talent into blatant protectionism.
Companies like <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> and <keyword id="6370971" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Accenture">Accenture</keyword> have managed to rewrite the H-1B visa program so as to allow themselves to add foreign workers to their U.S. payrolls while forcing Indian companies in the U.S. to subtract Indian workers from theirs.
Not only is this unfair but it sends the dispiriting message that America is not interested in abiding by the rules of free trade that it preaches to the rest of the world.
The Senate bill would raise the cap on high-skilled H-1B visas from 85,000 to potentially 185,000. But without naming them, it targets four companies—Tata Consulting Services, Wipro, <keyword id="6354512" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> and Cognizant—and bars them from taking advantage of the extra visas. (All are India-based except Cognizant, which is headquartered in New Jersey but was founded by an Indian.)
All four have a majority of their U.S. workers on H-1Bs or the equivalent. But the proposed visa rules would bar any 50-employee strong company with over 50% of its U.S. workforce on H-1Bs from applying for any more visas after 2016. In the interim, they will have to pay up to $15,000 in visa fees for every additional applicant compared to the $5,000 for other companies.
Even worse is the so-called outplacement restriction that would bar these companies from placing their H-1B workers on client sites in America, rather than having them work in-house.
Why are these companies being targeted for such outrageous treatment? Allegedly, because they are abusing the high-tech visa program to replace American workers with cheaper Indian workers.
“Americans would be shocked to know that the H-1B visas are not going to Microsoft; they’re going to these firms, largely in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, who are finding workers, engineers, who will work at low wages in the US for three years,” fumes Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) who, along with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), championed these restrictions.
Cognizant President Gordon Coburn allows that such allegations might apply to “body shops” or employment agencies that rent out H-1B workers on a contractual basis so that American companies don't have to hire permanent staff. But that’s not what Cognizant or the others do.
They offer not workers but services, insists Coburn. These services include IT support or computer programming for non-core business functions such as payroll processing, tracking employee records, data analysis. And the supply chain for these services spans the globe.
For example, Indians have developed an unparalleled expertise in writing glitch-free software for old mainframe systems that American companies need to maintain as they transition to more cutting-edge web-based technologies, notes Vivek Wadhwa, Vice President at Singularity University.
This is partly because it was not cost-effective for American companies to deploy software engineers drawing top dollars for basic programming. So companies like Infosys have created entire campuses in India to train young graduates to fill this programming niche, among other things.
But these companies also need some portion of their staff on-site in the U.S. to understand the systems and specifications of their American clients, which is why they are heavy H-1B users. In fact, their clients—which include 480 of Fortune 500 companies—often contractually require them to place employees on site to troubleshoot.
The outplacement restriction deals a body blow to this whole business model. “It basically tells us not to do business in America,” says Som Mittal, President of India’s National Association of Software and Service Companies.
Durbin and Schumer maintain that these visa restrictions will force American companies to invest more in American talent and raise American wages. But good programmers already command up to $200,000 in wages, notes Wadhwa. Raising these salaries further will only prompt American companies to offshore their whole operations.
Microsoft supports these restrictions for the simple reason that in a world of finite visas, fewer visas for Indian companies means more for itself. But IBM and Accenture have even more insidious motives.
Both companies have been expanding their IT operations in India and are directly competing with Indian companies for American “offshore” business. IBM now generates about a third of its revenues in India where it employs over 100,000 people. The visa restrictions are simply an effort to cripple their foreign competitors and capture their offshore market share, something that won’t save a single American job.
None other than Ronil Hira, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, whose work was instrumental in triggering the jihad against alleged visa abuse, pointed this out during his Congressional testimony. Because IBM and Accenture have a large American workforce, they will be able to hire even more H-1Bs than the Indian companies without running afoul of the new visa regime.
“Therefore, we will simply see the outsourcing shift from a company like Cognizant, which will face restrictions, to an Accenture, which will not,” he noted.
The Indian government is working behind the scenes to kill these discriminatory measures. Its effort now will be to replace the Senate provisions with a much cleaner H-1B bill proposed by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa that has already passed House Judiciary Committee.
If this effort fails, backlash would be inevitable. Infosys, TCS and Wipro are a pillar of India’s $100 billion IT industry and a source of national pride. Watching them be mistreated after they have worked hard and played by the rules is already igniting calls for retaliation, including giving Indian companies preferential access to government contracts over IBM and other American companies.
How ironic it would be if <keyword id="124780" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="immigration-reform">immigration reform</keyword> that was meant to knock down America’s existing walls to foreign talent ends up erecting new walls against American business abroad. Protectionism has a way of backfiring. Both Durbin and IBM should bear that in mind.
Shikha Dalmia is a Reason Foundation Senior Analyst and a Reason magazine columnist.

You Searched For "cognizant h1b" and got 12 results

Nearly 80,000 Indians with H-1B visas work for TCS, Infosys and other Indian IT companies — here's a company-wise breakup

Prabhjote Gill

After TCS, Infosys, US Government to probe more pacts for H1-B visa rule violations

BI India Bureau

H-1B visa rejection rates rise sharply — 30% of Cognizant, Capgemini, Accenture, Wipro and Infosys applications denied

Prerna Sindwani

New H1-B rules bring more rejections on work visa renewals

BI India Bureau

US says TCS, Infosys apply for very large number of visas, accuses them of violating H-1B visa norms

BI India Bureau

US eases H-1B visa norms a day after tech giants back immigration lawsuit — NASSCOM ‘cautiously optimistic’

Prabhjote Gill

US President Donald Trump to suspend H1B visas, will not affect those already in the states

IANS

Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Indra Nooyi and even Melania Trump entered the US on the same H-1B visa that Donald Trump's suspending

Prabhjote Gill

US Immigration is denying more H1-B visas than ever before — without notice or authority

Prabhjote Gill

Green card wait time for Indians can go to 450 years by 2030, warns a Republican Senator

IANS

US looks to replace H-1B visa lottery system with a wage-based selection process that will prioritise higher salaries

Prabhjote Gill

US Tech Firms Are Using A Sneaky Provision In The Immigration Bill To Screw Their Indian Competitors

Shikha Dalmia

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides