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India could see a shift in foreign direct investment (FDI) trends in the second term of Donald Trump (Trump 2.0) as President of the United States, says a research report by the State Bank of India. The report highlighted that under his first term, Trump 1.0, the Trump administration made sweeping regulatory changes aimed at attracting investments back to the U.S., which impacted FDI inflows globally, including India. It added that if similar policies are reintroduced in Trump 2.0 also, it could create challenges for emerging markets like India, which rely on FDI as a significant driver of economic growth. Notably, a recent Kotak report highlighted that a complete Republican control over all arms of the US government would mean increased US earnings via corporate tax cuts, higher tariffs on imports into the US and greater US fiscal deficits. The first two could spell doom for emerging markets like India and China, since foreign investors will make a beeline for investing more money in the US markets, which will come at the cost of intense selloff in emerging markets. However, higher fiscal deficits will eventually lead to the dollar weakening after the initial euphoria dies down. "India may see shifts in foreign direct investments (FDIs) during Trump 2.0. The Trump 1.0 administration saw significant regulatory changes aimed at attracting investments back to the US," the SBI report stated. However, given that India has been gradually diversifying its sources of FDI (foreign direct investments), this trend could serve as a buffer against any potential decline. Moreover, domestic institutional investors have been stepping up big time, maintaining some balance to the massive exodus of FIIs over the past month. So far in November 2024, FIIs have withdrawn Rs 19,849 crores from the cash segment in Indian markets, while DIIs have poured in Rs 14,014.18 crores as of November 10th, 2024. "India is no longer dependent on the traditional sources of FDI inflows... unlike the recent past, FDI is now coming in many new sectors," noted the SBI report. Unlike a decade ago, when most FDI inflows came from a limited number of traditional sectors, India is now attracting investment in a wide array of industries, including renewable energy, sea transport, medical devices, and surgical appliances. Data suggests over the last 24 years, i.e., between April 2000 and June 2024, FDIs have poured in $1,013.4 billion in the Indian economy. Out of this, 67%, i.e., $689.88 billion, has come in just the last 10 years. The report added there are up to 12 emerging sectors showing strong FDI interest, which could help offset any loss of inflows in conventional sectors if there is a shift in global investment patterns under another Trump administration. In the last financial year, the top 5 sectors that have received the highest quantum of FDI inflow include the services sector (finance, banking, insurance, and business) which makes up about 16% of the inflows. This is followed computer software &amp; hardware, which constitute around 15% of total FDI flows. Trading and telecommunications follows with a share of 6% each, and Automobile Industry comes next with a 5% share. In the short term, the potential for increased U.S. tariffs, more restrictive H-1B visa policies, and a stronger dollar could bring some volatility to India's trade and investment landscape. However, in the long term, these challenges might also encourage India to expand its manufacturing capabilities, diversify export markets, and focus on becoming economically more self-reliant. Notably, India has maintained a merchandise trade surplus with the U.S. despite tariffs imposed during Trump's first term. This indicates that Indian exports have remained resilient, and there is potential to strengthen this trade relationship further by capitalizing on emerging sectors and reducing dependency on traditional industries. Suman Chowdhury, Executive Director &amp; Chief Economist, Acuité Ratings &amp; Research Limited cautions that in the medium to long term, the trade relationship with the US may see a structural improvement. "Higher tariff and trade restrictions in the US with China should translate into better opportunities for exports of manufactured goods from India", he adds.

FDIs may shift to US under Trump 2.0 but it is unlikely to severely impact FDIs inflow to India, says SBI Report

Amidst the global focus on the COVID-19 <keyword id="43587" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="Orion">pandemic</keyword> in 2020, a new and concerning viral threat emerged, largely unnoticed. While attention was diverted, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, <keyword id="13234273" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="h5n1" source="Orion">H5N1</keyword>, quietly evolved into a new variant, labelled 2.3.4.4b, presenting a significant development in its transmission pattern. A recent study has unveiled a startling revelation: H5N1, traditionally associated with <keyword id="20838242" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="avian-populations" source="keywords">avian populations</keyword>, has breached into marine mammals. Instances of the virus have been detected in marine animals along the Atlantic coast of South America, prompting concerns over potential transmission to humans. Researchers conducted an analysis of brain samples from deceased animals in an affected sea lion rookery in Argentina. Alarmingly, all samples, encompassing sea lions, fur seals, and terns, tested positive for H5N1, specifically the 2.3.4.4b variant. This mutation is notable for its ability to infect both avian and marine species, indicating a concerning adaptability of the virus. Scientists fear the likelihood of a multi-species outbreak as the virus infiltrates diverse food chains within the region. Previous observations of similar mutations in sea lions from Peru and Chile, as well as a singular human case in Chile, underscore the gravity of this development. Termed a "New onster" by senior author Marcela Uhart, the variant initiated mass die-offs among seabirds in Europe before spreading globally, eventually reaching South America in 2022. The true extent of the virus's impact became evident in August 2023 when it ravaged sea lion populations at the southern tip of the continent, subsequently spreading northward. Mortality rates among marine mammals, particularly elephant seal pups, soared to alarming levels, reaching 96% in surveyed areas by November 2023. Since its introduction to South America, H5N1 has claimed the lives of over six lakh wild birds and 50,000 marine mammals. While <keyword id="8626520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="human-transmission" source="Orion">human transmission</keyword> remains relatively low-risk, ongoing replication within mammalian hosts poses a concerning escalation of the threat. As the virus progresses southward, scientists express grave concerns regarding its potential impact on <keyword id="19945467" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="antarctica" source="keywords">Antarctica</keyword>'s unique wildlife, notably penguins. To address this looming threat, surveillance efforts are underway in Antarctica to monitor the virus's spread and its potential consequences on vulnerable species. These findings have been published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

New variant of H5N1 bird flu spreads to marine mammals, heightening concerns for human transmission

<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

<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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The tech industry relies on skilled-work visas for foreign hires in a system critics say is broken.</li><li>Now the USCIS is proposing fee hikes for visa applications, at a time when it's already challenging.</li></ul>Strict rules around the system for H-1B visas — which the tech industry relies on to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-google-twitter-speak-out-against-trump-h1b-visa-freeze-2020-6">hire skilled foreign workers</a> to fill critical roles in fields like engineering and data science — already stymie the American tech industry's ability to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flawed-h1b-visa-system-layoffs-undermining-americas-tech-industry-2022-12">remain competitive on the global stage</a>, especially amid the recent wave of layoffs.Now, US Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-01-03/biden-immigration-fees-h1b-asylum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hike the fees</a> that companies have to pay to sponsor those visas by as much as $600 an applicant. It would be the first such fee increase since 2016, but experts and industry insiders say that the timing couldn't be worse, likening the situation to pouring gasoline on a burning fire."We are already operating in an environment where there are very, very few jobs. We're already existing in an environment where jobs are at risk," Hiba Mona Anver, an immigration attorney at Erickson Immigration Group, said. "We are really hoping that things will start to get better, but this sort of increase in filing fees is only going to be another step in discouraging companies from sponsoring foreign talent."While the proposed fee hikes are presented as a solution to end backlogs and address bureaucratic headaches, experts say they would make it more difficult to hire foreign talent. That would especially affect smaller companies, universities, and startups, which would, in turn, undermine Silicon Valley's innovation pipeline.The proposal is in the middle of a 60-day comment period for people to officially weigh in on the idea. Immigration lawyers are encouraging their corporate clients to submit comments about how this would hurt their ability to hire people on these skilled-work visas. "Businesses are getting back to normal right now right after COVID, and really, I think this could impact the amount of workforce and potentially foreign employees that they want to hire," Cristina Perez, an immigration lawyer at the law firm Leech Tishman, said. "I think that's not a good thing. There's study after study that shows H-1B beneficiaries really are a benefit to this country."<h2>Why the USCIS wants to raise fees — and why experts are skeptical </h2>Experts aren't surprised that the USCIS wants to raise fees, especially since it's been so long since the last increase.Under President Donald Trump's administration, the USCIS attempted to dramatically raise fees for naturalization and looked to collect $50 from asylum seekers. The changes would have also ended many fee-waiver programs for low-income visa applicants. Those changes were blocked in federal court in 2020.The Biden administration is taking a different approach, with the USCIS now saying that it intends to use the $600 in additional fees for specialized visa programs like H-1B to keep the process free for those seeking asylum at the border.<h2>Critics say the fee hikes wouldn't solve any problems</h2>Critics say the planned fee increase would make life harder for visa seekers, without addressing any of the problems with the immigration process, including the massive backlog of visa applicants."Our system is definitely not working. It is not efficient. It is riddled with inconsistencies," Perez said. "Fix the problem first, then raise the fees."Some in the industry hope it starts a discussion about what it takes to retain global talent. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang, a founding partner at Born Global Ventures, said she hoped this could be used to educate employers about what it takes to keep global talent in the US, when they have the option to go places with friendlier immigration policies, like Canada. Manan Mehta of Unshackled Ventures, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigrant-founders-visas-venture-capital-startup-sponsorship-2022-12#unshackled-ventures-1">which helps immigrants found companies</a>, had a more-positive outlook. He said given that people on H-1B and other specialized visas often earned high salaries, the fee hikes for visa applications could just be factored into that overall cost.The timing of it all is what presents a challenge, given the state of the economy. Additionally, lawyers are skeptical that the USCIS would be able to turn things around and fix broken systems with the additional money it would be bringing in. "I just don't see how this breaks the vicious cycle that we're in right now," Anver of Erickson Immigration Group said. Are you an H-1B visa holder and have a story to share? Contact this reporter via email at <a href="mailto:pzaveri@businessinsider.com" rel=" nofollow">pzaveri@insider.com</a> or Signal at 925-364-4258. (PR pitches by email only, please.)

A proposed H-1B visa fee increase threatens to kneecap Silicon Valley's ability to hire the foreign talent it needs to compete

The United States on Thursday announced that it will modify the selection process for H-1B visa, giving priority to salary and skills instead of the current lottery procedures. The final rule to be published in the federal register on January 8, officials said, is aimed to protect the economic interests of US workers and better ensure the most highly skilled foreign workers benefit from the temporary employment programme. 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. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Modifying the H-1B cap selection process will incentivise employers to offer higher salaries, and/or petition for higher-skilled positions, and establish a more certain path for businesses to achieve personnel needs and remain globally competitive, said <keyword id="368921" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Citizenship-and-Immigration-Services">US Citizenship and Immigration Services</keyword>. The final rule will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The next H-1B visa filing season is slated to start on April 1. "The H-1B temporary visa programme has been exploited and abused by employers primarily seeking to fill entry-level positions and reduce overall business costs," said <keyword id="137642" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USCIS">USCIS</keyword> Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow. "The current H-1B random selection process makes it difficult for businesses to plan their hiring, fails to leverage the programme to compete for the best and brightest international workforce, and has predominantly resulted in the annual influx of foreign labor placed in low-wage positions at the expense of US workers," he said. This effort will only affect H-1B registrations (or petitions, if the registration process is suspended) submitted by prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. It will be implemented for both the H-1B regular cap and the H-1B advanced degree exemption, but it will not change the order of selection between the two as established by the H-1B registration final rule, USCIS said. The <keyword id="134917" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="department-of-homeland-security">Department of Homeland Security</keyword> had previously published a notice of proposed rulemaking on November 2, 2020. It carefully considered the public comments received before deciding to publish the proposed regulations as a final rule, USCIS said. According to the final rule, a version of which was released by Department of Homeland Security, Instead, a registration system that faithfully implements the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) while prioritising registrations based on wage level within each cap will incentivize H-1B employers to offer higher wages, or to petition for positions requiring higher skills and higher-skilled aliens that are commensurate with higher wage levels, to increase the likelihood of selection and eligibility to file an H-1B cap-subject petition. Moreover, it will maximize H-1B cap allocations, so that they more likely will go to the best and brightest workers; and it will disincentivise abuse of the H-1B programme to fill relatively lower-paid, lower-skilled positions, which is a significant problem under the present selection system, it said. "While administering a random lottery system is reasonable, it is inconsiderate of Congress's statutory purposes for the H-1B program and its administration," said the final rule. The changes in this final rule will apply to all registrations, including those for the advanced degree exemption, submitted on or after the effective date of the final rule. As per Congressional-mandated cap, USCIS in one year can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas. It can also issue another 20,000 H-1B visas to those foreign students who have completed higher studies from a US university in STEM subjects. During the public notice period, the department said, several commenters expressed support for the rule and the need to stop visa fraud, abuse, and flooding of petitions by certain staffing or consulting companies. One commenter said the proposed rule would disincentivize companies from abusing the H-1B programme and harming US workers. Other commenters said the proposed rule would decrease potential visa abuse by employers and make sure all workers were paid according to their skillset as employers no longer would be able to lower labor expenses by hiring foreign workers. Another said that the proposed rule would have a positive impact on US employees and college educated US citizens who take out loans for their education by making it harder for technology companies to discriminate against US citizens; US workers are being laid off in large numbers because corporations are outsourcing for profits; and the proposed rule is necessary because Indian corporations are acquiring US jobs, it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tcs-ongc-tata-power-punjab-national-bank-nhpc-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch/articleshow/80164057.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">TCS’ market share, ONGC’s borrowing, Tata Power gets new territories⁠— these and other top stocks to watch</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/whatsapp-is-forcing-users-to-share-personal-data-with-facebook-and-elon-musk-is-urging-people-to-switch-to-signal-a-smaller-encrypted-messaging-app/articleshow/80156317.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">WhatsApp is forcing users to share personal data with Facebook, and Elon Musk is urging people to switch to Signal, a smaller encrypted messaging app</a>

US to modify H1B visa selection process — wages, skill level to get priority over lottery system

<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>Technology giants — <keyword id="10863" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="CapGemini">Capgemini</keyword>, <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> and <keyword id="28721" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword> — are aggressively cutting jobs across levels. </li><li>French technology multinational Capgemini has axed almost 500 jobs in India to increase productivity. </li><li>Meanwhile, Infosys is expected to layoff almost 10% of its workforce — accounting for 12,000 jobs. </li><li>These layoffs comes on the back of ongoing job cuts in Cognizant. According to a recent announcement, as many as 7,000 mid and senior level jobs are on the line — accounting for 2% of its workforce.</li></ul>Technology giants — Capgemini, Infosys and Cognizant — are aggressively cutting jobs across levels as a cost cutting measure. French technology multinational Capgemini will layoff almost 500 jobs in India to improve productivity. And, the process has started. Over half of this company's workforce is based in India — with over 100,000 employees. “As an IT services company, our people are at the heart of our business and we are permanently rolling out widespread reskilling programs to build new capabilities that meet clients’ evolving digital transformation needs. The net headcount in India has continued to grow well with strong hiring year-on-year and our perspectives for 2020 look good too. Globally we also continue to increase our overall headcount was up 5.1% year on year,” the company said. There are departures, reskilling, reassignments and arrivals across the industry. The company claims to have reskilled over 51,000 people in 2019 so far. It skilled employees on emerging technologies — cloud, devOps, and big data. On the other hand, Indian IT major <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/infosys-cognizant-lay-off-mid-senior-level-job-cut-1615907-2019-11-05">Infosys</a> is expected to layoff almost 10% of its workforce — accounting for 12,000 jobs. The move will affect the senior and mid level employees. The company employs over 900 senior executives and up to 5% of them may be asked to resign from their posts, India Today reported. But the company has denied it. "As a high-performance organisation, involuntary attrition is integral to normal course of business and this should not be interpreted as any mass trimming across any level," Infosys <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/infosys-lays-off-thousands-of-mid-senior-level-employees-report-4606991.html">told</a> TOI. These layoffs comes on the back of ongoing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/7000-cognizant-jobs-are-on-the-line-as-the-tech-major-rejigs-workforce/articleshow/71830898.cms">job cuts in Cognizant</a>. According to a recent announcement, as many as 7,000 mid and senior level jobs are on the line — accounting for 2% of its workforce. Nearly 5,000 employees will be redeployed into other job roles. This might also affect its workforce in India. “To improve cost structure to partially fund these investments and advance Cognizant’s growth agenda, it has made the decision to remove approximately 10,000-12,000 mid-to-senior level associates worldwide from their current roles in coming quarters,” Karen McLoughlin, CFO, Cognizant said. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/7000-cognizant-jobs-are-on-the-line-as-the-tech-major-rejigs-workforce/articleshow/71830898.cms">7,000 Cognizant jobs are on the line as the tech major rejigs workforce</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/h-1b-visa-rejection-rates-rise-sharply-30-of-cognizant-capgemini-accenture-wipro-and-infosys-applications-denied/articleshow/71821596.cms">H-1B visa rejection rates rise sharply — 30% of Cognizant, Capgemini, Accenture, Wipro and Infosys applications denied</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/salil-parekh-infosys-ceo-profile/articleshow/71699382.cms">The Infosys clean-up under Salil Parekh seems to have come a full circle within 2 years</a>

Benching, firing and re-deploying — the story of 20,000 employees at tech majors

The US State Department in a federal notification Wednesday proposed to make changes to its existing visa regulations under which <keyword id="738953" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Foreign-professionals">foreign professionals</keyword>, which would fall under H-1B, would not be issued temporary visa for business, as has been widely prevalent currently. If finalized, this proposal will eliminate any misconception that the "B-1 in lieu of H policy" provides an alternative avenue for foreign professionals to enter the US to perform <keyword id="438013" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="skilled-labour">skilled labour</keyword> that allows, and potentially even encourages them and their employers to circumvent the restrictions and requirements relating to the H nonimmigrant classification established by the Congress to protect US workers, the State Department said. The move is likely to impact a lot of Indian companies who send their technology professionals on B-1 visas for a short stay to complete the jobs on site in the US. On December 17, 2019, the California Attorney General announced a $800,000 settlement against <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> Limited to resolve allegations that approximately 500 Infosys employees worked in California on Infosys-sponsored B-1 visas rather than H-1B visas, the State Department said. "The proposed changes and the resulting transparency would reduce the impact of foreign labour on the US workforce of aliens performing activities in a specialty occupation without the procedural protections attendant to the H-1B classification," it said. In its federal notification issued on Wednesday, the State Department said US architecture firm seeking protection from rising labour costs in the country might believe it could lay off its US architects and contract for the same professional architectural services to be provided by a foreign architecture firm. If the foreign firm sought H-1B visas for its architects, it would be required to pay the prevailing wage for architects in the area of intended employment in the United States, presumably the same wage the US architects had been paid, and meet the other requirements enacted by the Congress to protect US workers. But under the B-1 in lieu of H policy, the foreign architects could ostensibly seek B-1 visas and travel to the US to fill a temporary need for architecture services, so long as they retained a residence in the foreign country and continued to receive a salary, perhaps significantly lower than what is customary for US architects, dispersed abroad by the foreign firm (or under the auspices of a foreign parent or subsidiary), the State Department said. Under the Department's guidance, visas could be issued for multiple architects planning temporary work in the United States, in certain situations. However, a foreign employer may succeed in undermining US immigration law and policy by rotating architects between the US and the foreign country to effectively fill the position of one US architect at a significantly lower cost, the notification said. "If the architects who intended to perform skilled labour were "of distinguished merit and ability... seeking to perform (temporary architectural services) of an exceptional nature requiring such merit and ability, one might argue the current regulatory language suggests this type of labour is a permissible basis for B-1 nonimmigrant visa issuance," the State Department said. This potential outcome is harmful to US workers and contrary to policies of the Trump Administration, it said. The State Department said the application process for a B-1 visa does not include similar procedural requirements to protect US workers like that of H-1B visas. Also, the fees for the B-1 visas are far less than that of H-1B visas. While the Congress required H-1B employers to pay significant fees to fund assistance to the US workforce as well as prevention and detection of fraud related to skilled labour, employers are not required to pay comparable fees to employ skilled workers under the B-1 in lieu of H policy, it said. According to the notification, the State Department estimates that this proposal will affect no more than 6,000 to 8,000 foreign workers per year, specifically aliens intending to provide services in a specialty occupation in the US. As per its estimate, up to 28 per cent of the approximately 8,000 annual B-1 visa issuances under the B-1 in lieu of H policy were to foreign workers who applied for a visa to perform services in a specialty occupation for a small entity in the US. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-gets-a-rap-from-un-human-rights-commission-a-day-after-it-seals-the-office-of-kashmir-times/articleshow/78783770.cms">India gets a rap from UN Human Rights Commission a day after it seals the office of Kashmir Times</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/kashmir-elections-to-come-early-as-union-cabinet-announced-panchayat-raj-system-for-ut/articleshow/78786911.cms">Kashmir elections to come early as Union Cabinet announced Panchayat Raj System for UT</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bonus-for-30-lakh-public-sector-employees-announced-by-union-cabinet/articleshow/78786783.cms">Bonus for 30 lakh public sector employees announced by Union Cabinet</a>

US wants to scrap temporary business visas for H-1B speciality occupations

The <keyword id="420863" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Chambers-of-Commerce">US Chambers of Commerce</keyword>, the <keyword id="436947" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Association-of-Manufacturers">National Association of Manufacturers</keyword> (<keyword id="1294720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="NAM">NAM</keyword>) and several other organisations have filed a lawsuit against the federal government, asserting that recent H1B regulations will undermine high skilled immigration into the United States. Early this month, in its interim final rule, the Department of Homeland Security announced to narrow the definition of "specialty occupation" as Congress intended by closing the overbroad definition that allowed companies to game the system. It also requires companies to make "real" offers to "real employees," by closing loopholes and preventing the displacement of the American worker. And finally, the new rules would enhance the department's ability to enforce compliance through worksite inspections and monitor compliance before, during, and after an H1B petition is approved. Filed on Monday in the Northern District of Columbia, the lawsuit alleges that "harmful and haphazard rules on H1B visas" if left in place, would affect hundreds of thousands of American-based workers and disrupt manufacturers' ability to hire and retain critical high-skilled talent. "The rules being implemented by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor undermine high-skilled immigration in the US and a company's ability to retain and recruit the very best talent," said US Chamber CEO Thomas J Donohue. If these rules are allowed to stand, they will devastate companies across various industries, he said, adding that these measures will discourage investment, diminish economic growth, and impede job creation in the US. The <keyword id="6358043" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="H1B-visa">H1B visa</keyword> is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. It is most sought-after among Indian IT professionals "We need high-skilled innovators now more than ever, and the administration's attempt to rush these rules forward without properly considering their impact on thousands of people on the front lines of developing vaccines and treatments and making critical supplies, as well as saving lives in our hospitals, could have devastating consequences at a critical moment in our history," said NAM senior vice president and general counsel Linda Kelly. Rewriting laws through a "dark-of-night-style" rulemaking leads to dangerous policy outcomes, and this pair of interim final rules is an illegal attempt to dismantle legal immigration by rendering the H1B visa programme unworkable for hundreds of thousands of American-based workers who are essential to the recovery and renewal of the industry and the economy, Kelly said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/trump-versus-biden-what-the-result-of-us-election-could-mean-for-india/articleshow/78750339.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Trump versus Biden — Here’s what the result of the US election could mean for India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/exclusive-why-tata-motors-ceo-is-not-worried-about-musks-tesla-coming-to-india/articleshow/78749755.cms">Why Tata Motors CEO is not worried about Musk's Tesla coming to India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/byjus-renewal-rates-stand-at-86-the-founder-of-the-11-billion-edtech-startup-shares-how-they-cracked-the-code-for-repeat-subscriptions/articleshow/78749254.cms">BYJU’S renewal rates stand at 86% – the founder of the $11 billion edtech startup shares how they cracked the code for repeat subscriptions</a>

US Chambers of Commerce, NAM and others file lawsuit against latest H1B regulations

<keyword id="6355629" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> is leading a determined effort by US tech giants to support a programme that gives work authorisation for spouses of those possessing H-1B foreign work visas, the most sought after among Indian IT professionals. Google is joined by 30 other companies to support the H-4 EAD ((Employment Authorisation Document) programme. An H-4 visa is issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the <keyword id="6358066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="h-1b-visa">H-1B visa</keyword> holders. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. "Google is proud to support our nation's immigrants. We joined 30 other companies to protect the H-4 EAD programme which spurs innovation, creates jobs and opportunities, and helps families," Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted. Google on Friday filed a legal brief in a lawsuit called Save Jobs USA vs US Department of Homeland Security. Tech companies that signed onto the amicus brief include Adobe, <keyword id="18635" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>, <keyword id="6354427" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple">Apple</keyword>, eBay, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, PayPal and Twitter. "To support this important programme, we are leading an amicus brief with over 40 companies and organisations to preserve and protect the H-4 EAD programme," Catherine Lacavera, Vice President, Legal, Google, said in a blog post. "This builds on an amicus brief we recently joined in support of a lawsuit filed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association to expedite the delayed processing time of H-4 work authorisations," she said. Kent Walker, Senior Vice President, Global Affairs, Google, said H-4 EAD authorisations for the spouses of high-skilled workers help American companies recruit and retain the world's best talent. "Today we led a business coalition filing on behalf of 30 companies to preserve and protect the programme," Walker said. "H-4 EADs provide work authorisation to more than 90,000 H-4 visa-holders--more than 90 per cent women. COVID has disproportionately affected women. Ending this programme would make things worse, disrupting careers and reducing wages," he said. "It doesn't make sense to welcome a person to the US to work but to make it harder for their spouse to work. That hurts their family and hurts our economy now and in the future," he added. The plaintiff is Save Jobs USA, a group of computer workers formerly employed by Southern California Edison and "replaced by foreign workers imported on H-1B guest worker visas. Save Jobs USA filed the lawsuit in 2015. It was delayed as former president Donald Trump's administration considered rescinding the H-4 work rule. A week after his inauguration on January 20, US President Joe Biden withdrew a Trump-era rule rescinding work authorisation for H-4 visa holders. Now, both the plaintiffs and the Biden administration are seeking summary judgment. In the amicus brief, Google said: "The regulation at issue here-the H-4 Rule, US Department of Homeland Security, Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses, 80 Fed. Reg. 10,284 (Feb. 25, 2015)-provides work authorization to more than 90,000 H-4 visa holders (spouses of certain H-1B visa holders), more than 90 per cent of whom are women. "Invalidation of this rule would result in these talented individuals being barred from the workplace, forcibly severing tens of thousands of employment relationships across the country," it said. The results would be utterly destructive for the families impacted; by just one measure, about 87 per cent of these families have made crucial life decisions on the promise of H-4 employment, including whether to have a child and whether to buy a house, it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/go-air-has-filed-for-a-3600-crore-ipo-at-a-very-desperate-time/articleshow/82626097.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Go Air has filed for a ₹3,600 crore IPO at a very desperate time</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/heres-why-the-spike-in-inflation-in-the-us-may-worry-markets-in-india/articleshow/82597218.cms">Here's why the spike in inflation in the US may worry markets in India ⁠— but experts say don’t panic yet</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-responds-to-privacy-criticism-by-alleging-other-apps-like-zomato-ola-aarogya-setu-zoom-google-and-other-apps/articleshow/82570897.cms">WhatsApp responds to privacy criticism by alleging that other apps and tech companies also show disdain for user privacy</a>

Tech giants Google, Amazon, and Apple back work authorisation in US for spouses of H-1B visa holders

<ul><li>The National Association of Software and Service Companies (<keyword id="6372077" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="nasscom">NASSCOM</keyword>) is urging the US administration to shorten the duration of <keyword id="6358066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="h-1b-visa">H-1B visa</keyword> suspension to 90 days.</li><li>It believes that US President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword>’s extension of the H-1B visa freeze is “misguided and harmful” for the US economy keeping companies from accessing the talent they need from overseas.</li><li>However, India IT giant <keyword id="43217" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tech-Mahindra">Tech Mahindra</keyword> doesn’t believe that Trump’s visa freeze will have much of an impact on the company in the near or medium term. </li></ul>The nodal Indian tech lobby, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), has urged the US government to shorten the duration of the H-1B visa suspension to 90 days and to rethink US President Donald Trump’s stated plans to change laws to restrict immigration and increase the cost of the visa. NASSCOM — which represents Indian IT services giants like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, and HCL Tech — believes that Trump’s extension of the H-1B visa freeze will be “misguided and harmful” keeping companies from accessing the talent they need from overseas. The Trump administration ruled that H-1Bs or L-1s, as well as other visa types, will not be allowed to enter the United States after June 23, with very few exceptions, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/trump-signs-a-proclamation-halting-h1b-work-visas-and-other-temporary-visas/articleshow/76520775.cms">until the end of the year</a>. “Lengthening these burdensome restrictions on U.S. companies that are trying to recover from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic will only serve to harm our economy,” it said in a statement. “Study after study from the Federal Reserve, National Academy of Sciences, General Accounting Office, National Foundation for American Progress, Pew Research Center, CATO, Brookings Foundation, PPI, top academics, business groups and others all reveal the immeasurable value nonimmigrants have and will bring to America,” the NASSCOM statement added. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76522530" title="Google’s Sundar Pichai, Facebook and Amazon — here’s how American companies reacted to Donald Trump’s H1-B visa freeze" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Indian IT firms, like Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and others have been increasing their local workforce in the US over the last few years as denial rate of initial employment has been in an upwards trajectory. <div type="image" title="h1b (4)" msid="76524580" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Denial of initial employment&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> And therefore, the Indian IT majors have increased local hiring in US in recent years.“From a near or medium-term perspective, we don’t see much of an impact because of the current situation and travel restrictions,” Tech Mahindra CFO, Manoj Bhat told Business Insider in a statement. "Since April of 2017, we have hired about 9,100 people as of March 2019. This has actually helped us in strengthening our business model and becoming less dependent on visas for talent or ability," said Infosys COO UB Pravin Rao during the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) last year. Wipro, in its annual report, pointed out that its local employee base in the US has hit nearly 70% in 2020. The North American country is its largest market contributing nearly 59.1% to the company’s total revenue. TCS, on the other hand, hasn’t disclosed how many employees it has hired in the US but experts estimate that it’s close to 40,000 of its total headcount of 448,464 people. “The numbers are substantial and it has gone up year-on-year…In last few years, TCS has created more than 20,000 jobs in the US," Milind Lakkad, global head of HR at TCS told <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/tcs-continues-localisation-in-us-to-hire-1-500-employees-by-this-fiscal-11576119389690.html">LiveMint</a> in December 2019. 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/politics/world/news/trump-signs-a-proclamation-halting-h1b-work-visas-and-other-temporary-visas/articleshow/76520775.cms">Trump signs a proclamation halting H-1B work visas and other temporary visas</a>

You Searched For "h1b impact on cognizant" and got 12 results

FDIs may shift to US under Trump 2.0 but it is unlikely to severely impact FDIs inflow to India, says SBI Report

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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

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

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A proposed H-1B visa fee increase threatens to kneecap Silicon Valley's ability to hire the foreign talent it needs to compete

Paayal Zaveri

US to modify H1B visa selection process — wages, skill level to get priority over lottery system

PTI

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

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Benching, firing and re-deploying — the story of 20,000 employees at tech majors

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US wants to scrap temporary business visas for H-1B speciality occupations

PTI

US Chambers of Commerce, NAM and others file lawsuit against latest H1B regulations

PTI

Tech giants Google, Amazon, and Apple back work authorisation in US for spouses of H-1B visa holders

PTI

Donald Trump's H-1B visa ban incites a sharp reaction from India's tech lobby

Prabhjote Gill

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