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A US-based diaspora body on Tuesday launched an online petition campaign urging the Secretary of State Anthony <keyword id="10620101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blinken" source="Orion">Blinken</keyword> to reduce the long waitlist for various types of American visas being issued from <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>. "We request the State Department, Secretary of State Mr Anthony Blinken and the US embassies in India to eliminate wait times for <keyword id="6359421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa" source="Orion">visa</keyword> appointments in India. "Even after a two-year-long Covid-era pause in visa appointments at the US embassies in India, the visa appointment situation is far from normal, requiring 300 to 900 days of wait time based on the visa types," Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies or FIIDS said launching its online petition campaign. As per travel.state.gov reports on October 31, there is an average 900+ days' wait time for appointments for visitors' visa (B1/B2), an average 400 days' wait time for students (F, M,J) and an average 300 days' wait time for petition-based temp workers like H, L, O, P and Q across the USA consulates in India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata), it said. In contrast, the US consulates in China only have an average three days' wait time, FIIDS said. "The 900+ days' delay deprives Indian Americans and Indian immigrants in the USA of having their beloved relatives to visit, whether in the time of difficulties, needs, or for celebrations, impacting their quality of life," it said. "The 400+ days' wait time affects students joining the US universities, that not only impacts students' future but also negatively impacts the US universities," FIIDS said, adding, the 300+ days' wait time is impacting productivity and success of various industries and businesses due to lack of skilled workers. "We urge the US State Department and Sec Blinken to resolve this issue. We believe it is not only important for US interests but the right thing to do on moral and compassionate grounds," FIIDS said in its petition on Change.Org. "As per Reuters news on 27th Sept, the Secretary of State blamed the lack of resources and funding due to lost revenues from fees on this 'self-financed program,'" the petition said. "We request the concerned authorities to take all necessary steps and to seek emergency funds to resolve this backlog. We are eager to assist in any way possible and will forge a coalition of individuals who will rise to the occasion to assist in mitigating this issue," it added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musk-fired-twitter-execs-including-ceo-parag-agrawal-for-cause-in-a-bid-to-avoid-paying-out-tens-of-millions-in-severance-report-says/articleshow/95182325.cms">Elon Musk fired Twitter execs including CEO Parag Agrawal 'for cause' in a bid to avoid paying out tens of millions in severance, report says</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-staff-have-been-told-to-work-84-hour-weeks-and-managers-slept-at-the-office-over-the-weekend-as-they-scramble-to-meet-elon-musks-tight-deadlines-reports-say/articleshow/95232215.cms">Twitter staff have been told to work 84-hour weeks and managers slept at the office over the weekend as they scramble to meet Elon Musk's tight deadlines, reports say</a>

Diaspora group launches online petition urging Blinken to reduce visa wait time

8 of the easiest countries to move to from the US when the pandemic is over

<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. 
 
 
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 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%. 
 
 
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 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>Trump said that he favours foreign immigrants coming in through a merit-based system as they will help meet labour demands of American companies. </li><li>Trump also recently acknowledged that their immigration policy is unfair to those who come in legally, a lot of which are Indian immigrants. </li><li>Experts believe that this might favour thousands of Indians waiting in line for their green card, an overwhelming majority of whom are meritorious. </li></ul>On Wednesday, during a luncheon with members of the Congress at the White House, Trump told reporters, that he favours foreign immigrants coming into the US through a <a href="https://www.hooyou.com/reform/merit-base-visa.html">merit-based system</a> as they help the country meet labour demands. According to Trump, these ‘meritorious’ immigrants will prove beneficial for companies that are moving into America “at numbers that nobody has seen in a long time”. As an example, he announced that Foxconn, the company that makes Apple’s laptops and iPhones, is setting up a big plant in Wisconsin and would need labour. In that case, Trump said, he will have to let people in but it must do so through the merit-based system to ‘<a href="https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world-merit-based-immigration-system-fair-treatment-of-legal-immigrants-trump-449241">Make America Great Again</a>’. Experts believe that Trump’s new decision might <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/trump-favours-people-coming-to-us-through-merit-based-system/articleshow/64757957.cms">favour Indians</a>. The current immigration system imposes a quota of 7% per country on the allotment of green cards or permanent legal residency and Indian-Americans have been its worst sufferers. Thousands of Indians are waiting in line for their green card, an overwhelming majority of whom are meritorious. However, because of the country-limit, they have to wait for more than a decade to get legal permanent residency. Trump also recently acknowledged that the country’s immigration policy is unfair to those who come in legally, a lot of whom are Indian immigrants. Trump further added that the current US immigration policy is a mixed bag of laws put together through several years and it needs to be straightened out. For that, Trump recommended a system with tighter border security that does not need “thousands of judges sitting at a border” to handle the cases of illegal immigrants who are often “criminals”. Trump’s comments and policies concerning immigrants have recently faced much backlash and staunch criticism from all across the world. And recently, 17 American states and the District of Columbia have moved the US District Court in Seattle <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/states-sue-trump-over-immigrant-families-as-congress-quarrels-10473700">against</a> Trump for his policy that separated immigrant families. The policy had also faced public disapproval from the First Lady before he finally had to scrap it.

Indians might benefit from Trump’s move to favour ‘meritorious’ immigrants

<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

US President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> has highlighted the removal of H1-B workers from an American public sector power conglomerate and restoring jobs to citizens as one of his accomplishments while officially accepting the Republican Party's nomination for a second term in office. His acceptance on Thursday night came during a speech from the White House South Lawn on the last day of the ongoing Republican National Convention (RNC). In his address, he mentioned the episode earlier this month while taking credit for bringing jobs back to the US and promising to redouble the efforts to build on it if re-elected. "When I learned that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) had laid off hundreds of American workers and forced them to train their lower-paid foreign replacements, I promptly removed the chairman of the board and now those talented American workers have been rehired and are back providing power" to several states, he said. "They have their old jobs back and some are here with us this evening," he said while introducing them to the audience of about 1,500 gathered at the White House. As they received a standing ovation, he said: "You went through a lot." Trump, who repeatedly specified China as he spoke of bringing jobs back, did not mention which country the H1-B workers came from. But when Trump took the action earlier this month, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, Steven Cohen, who brought up the issue said that one of the companies bringing in the H1-B workers was Capgemini, which "has half of its workforce, or 100,000 workers, in India alone". The mention of the H1-B workers at TVA and the focus on bringing back jobs to the US show an extension of his current policies if re-elected. He has temporarily halted the grant of H1-B visas given to professionals and highly qualified workers citing the high unemployment due to the Covid-19 pandemic and he has said that he plans to revamp the H1-B visa system to weed out those coming in for more routing jobs. Trump who has made job creation and preservation in the US a pillar of his agenda to especially appeal to workers in some of the states key to his election strategy who were hit hardest by the deindustrialisation of the US. The President mentioned what he called his "policy of pro-American immigration," but did not elaborate on it other than listing his action against illegal immigration like building a border fence and deporting gang members and criminals. "In perhaps no area did the Washington, D.C., special interest try harder to stop us than on my police of pro-American immigration. But I refused to back down and today America's borders are more secure than ever before," he said. Earlier this month he brought some of the TVA workers who were being replaced by H1-B workers and announced the firing of the undertaking's Chairman James Thompson and Director Richard Howorth. He said he would fire more board members if the laid-off workers were not re-hired. In his acceptance speech, Trump accused China of "stealing our jobs, ripping us off and robbing our country" with the connivance of the nation's elite. "We took the strongest, toughest-hitting action against China by far," he said. "We will make sure our jobs stay in this country." He accused his Democratic rival Joe Biden of contributing to the outsourcing and the export of American jobs and warned that if he were elected the US would revert to that. "Biden's agenda is 'Made in China', mine is 'Made in USA'," he said. His policy, he said was "building factories in America, not firing their employees and jobs deserting the US for other countries". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/ladakh-will-be-the-front-to-hold-for-india-and-china-for-at-least-a-year-if-not-longer-as-per-experts/articleshow/77779668.cms">Ladakh will be the 'front to hold' for India and China for at least a year if not longer as per experts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/china-fires-two-missiles-into-the-south-china-sea-and-asian-markets-feel-the-blow/articleshow/77777358.cms">China fires two missiles into the South China Sea and Asian markets feel the blow</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-military-options-against-china-explained-by-experts/articleshow/77743778.cms">Experts explain India’s 'military options' against China</a>

Donald Trump touts removal of H1-B workers while accepting Republican renomination

When it comes to handling <keyword id="70933" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="immigrants">immigrants</keyword>, the Trump administration is leaving no stone unturned, be it those who work illegally, or family of those who have the required visa. 
 
The new department of justice (DOJ) under <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Trump-may-move-closer-to-India-to-balance-China/articleshow/55838187.cms">Trump government</a> has filed a brief in the <keyword id="32755" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Washington-DC">Washington DC</keyword> court of appeals, asking for a 60-day freeze before granting employment authorisation to H-4 visa-holders, who are primarily dependent spouses of H-1B visa-holders. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/setback-for-tcs-infosys-wipro-other-it-companies-h-1b-bill-introduced-in-the-us/articleshow/56888347.cms">Setback for TCS, Infosys, Wipro, other IT companies? Donald Trump Govt introduces H-1B Bill</a> 
 
This category includes thousands of Indian spouses, who had won a hard-fought permission to work in America in February 2015 under the Obama administration. Then, the rule issued through the department of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Department-of-Homeland-Security-just-issued-a-new-terrorism-advisory/articleshow/52771813.cms">homeland security</a> allowed eligible spouses to work in the US while their <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/H-1B-visa">H-1B visa</a>-holder spouses awaited their PR and green card. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/india-will-be-highly-impacted-due-to-trumps-policies-but-govt-is-not-rush-with-its-view/articleshow/57003541.cms">India will be highly impacted due to Trump’s policies but Govt is not rush with its view</a> 
 Soon after, a group called Save Jobs <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword> filed a lawsuit, which was ruled out by a district court, alleging that there was no locus standi to sue. 
 
Save Jobs USA then filed its initial brief once <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/2016-election-results-Donald-Trump-and-his-affect-on-India/articleshow/55312791.cms">Trump took charge</a>, and this time around, was supported by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/acting-attorney-general-defies-trump-tells-justice-department-not-to-defend-refugee-ban/articleshow/56882913.cms">DOJ</a>. 
 
"There is nothing for the DoJ attorneys to confer with their leadership about given the district court's clear decision stating that this case had no basis for ever being filed," says Aman Kapoor, co-founder and president of Immigration Voice. "Any failure to provide the strongest possible defence of the district court's decision risks establishing a precedent prohibiting H-4 visa-holders from working under the current statutory regime," he added. 
 
(Image source: BellaNaija)

Trump in no mood to spare immigrants; goes after dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders

<ul><li>The US government is mulling nearly 10%-15% cap on H1-B visas for selective nations — including India. </li><li>The move is targeted on nations that restrain from global data storage norms seeking foreign companies to store data locally. </li><li>Of the 85,000 H1-B visas that are granted every year, nearly 70% go to the Indians. </li><li>This has hit the IT sector employees the most with nearly 40% <keyword id="61274" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Visa">US visa</keyword> rejections. </li></ul>In bad news for Indians, the United States of America(USA) is reportedly considering nearly 10%-15% cap on H1-B visas for selective nations — including India. Amid the rising tensions over trade and tariffs, the government is considering the move on nations that restrain from global data storage norms seeking foreign companies to store data locally, according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-india-exclusive/exclusive-us-tells-india-it-is-mulling-caps-on-h-1b-visas-to-deter-data-rules-sources-idUSKCN1TK2LG">Reuters report</a>. The US government is considering the move on nations that restrain from global data storage norms seeking foreign companies to store data locally, according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-india-exclusive/exclusive-us-tells-india-it-is-mulling-caps-on-h-1b-visas-to-deter-data-rules-sources-idUSKCN1TK2LG">Reuters report</a>. The H1-B visas are issued to the skilled Indians planning to work in the US, every year. "The proposal is that any country that does data localisation, then it (H-1B visas) would be limited to about 15% of the quota. It's being discussed internally in the US government," Reuters reported citing sources. This comes just ahead of Mike Pompeo’s India visit. In a recent US-India Business Council event, he told that the US government will focus on consumer privacy, thereby allowing free flow of data across borders. The US, however, has not put a limit on visa grants to a specific country, TOI reported. Of the 85,000 H1-B visas that are granted every year, nearly<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visa-and-immigration/us-tells-india-it-is-mulling-caps-on-h-1b-visas-to-deter-data-rules/articleshow/69865212.cms"> 70% go to the Indians</a>. The Trump government has been aggressively cracking down on the immigration rules. Recently, it directed the visa applicants to share their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/us-visa-seekers-will-now-have-to-submit-their-social-media-handles/articleshow/69632144.cms">social media handles</a> that they have used in the last five years. This will enable the government to have access to applicants’ email address, phone number and locations among others. This has hit the Indian IT sector employees the most with nearly 40% US visa rejections. According to the US think-tank <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tcs-and-infosys-face-most-rejections-on-h1-b-work-visa-extension/articleshow/68316202.cms">Centre for Immigration Studies</a>, top IT firms Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and Infosys faced the most rejections in extension of <keyword id="7779297" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="H1-B-work-visas">H1-B work visas</keyword>. Given that, "The next phase will be that Indian IT firms will go acquire more companies in the US. And, those companies will have back-end engineering in India,” Mohandas Pai, the former CEO of Infosys and a startup investor <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/us-h-1b-visa-rejection-rate-may-trigger-tech-ma/articleshow/69721592.cms">told</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/us-h-1b-visa-rejection-rate-may-trigger-tech-ma/articleshow/69721592.cms">Rise in US H-1B visa rejection may force Indian tech companies to look at M&amp;A</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/us-visa-seekers-will-now-have-to-submit-their-social-media-handles/articleshow/69632144.cms">US visa seekers will now have to submit their social media handles</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tcs-and-infosys-face-most-rejections-on-h1-b-work-visa-extension/articleshow/68316202.cms">New H1-B rules bring more rejections on work visa renewals</a>

Trump plans a 15% cap on H-1B visas — and Indians will be hurt the most

<ul><li>The United States of America (USA) has passed a bill which will help Indian technology professionals get permanent residency soon. </li><li>The bill could help many of the 300,000 Indian H1-B temporary work visa holders now in the US and in various stages of the green card process. </li><li>It will allow up to 85% of green cards to be given to Indians and Chinese in the first two years and 90% in the third year, to clear the backlog.</li></ul>In a rare good news, the United States of America (USA) has passed a bill which will help Indian technology professionals get permanent residency soon. But the US house has been facing backslash in the Senate, which could block it from becoming a law. This bill, which is sponsored by 311 representatives, will do away with the cap on the number of green cards given out for citizenship. This can open doors to qualified applicants from India and China. The bill could help many of the 300,000 Indian H1-B temporary work visa holders now in the US and in various stages of the green card process. Of the 85,000 <keyword id="931341" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="H1-B-visas">H1-B visas</keyword> that are granted every year, nearly<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visa-and-immigration/us-tells-india-it-is-mulling-caps-on-h-1b-visas-to-deter-data-rules/articleshow/69865212.cms"> 70% are for Indians</a>. Under the current system, there is a cap on the maximum number of green cards that can be granted to people from any country, whether it is as large as India and China or as small as Maldives and Luxembourg. This is at 7% of the total, which is about 26,000 per annum. This quota affects Indian technology professionals and other highly qualified people who have to wait of 10 years. During the time those who are already in the US on temporary H1-B work visas face uncertainty about their future prospects. If passed, the bill can bring cheer to Indian companies which have been facing visa rejections. According to the US think-tank <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tcs-and-infosys-face-most-rejections-on-h1-b-work-visa-extension/articleshow/68316202.cms">Centre for Immigration Studies</a>, top IT firms <keyword id="6357585" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-consultancy-services">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> (TCS), <keyword id="28721" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword> and <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> faced the most rejections in extension of H1-B work visas. Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 The bill, officially known as Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, seeks to eliminate the cap. It will allow up to 85% of green cards to be given to Indians and Chinese in the first two years and 90% in the third year, to clear the backlog. After that, the backlogs are unlikely to build up unless there is a comprehensive immigration reform. The bill received the votes of 224 Democrats and 140 Republicans. However, it was opposed by both the extreme left and the right. Two important leftist members, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were among the eight Democrats who voted against it. On the Republican side, 57 voted against it. With inputs from IANS

Indians can get permanent residency easily in the US, if the Senate clears the Bill

By Lalit K Jha Washington, May 7 () In a major development, the Trump administration has urged a federal district court not to block an Obama-era rule allowing certain categories of spouses of H-1B visa-holders to work in the United States.In a submission before the US District Court, District Washington this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued that the American technology workers, who had challenged the 2015 ruling on giving work permits to H-4 visa-holders, have not been irreparably harmed by such work authorisation.An H-4 visa is issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the H-1B visa-holders, most of whom are Indian IT professionals. It is normally issued to those who have already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status.The DHS, in its submission on May 5, said the argument by Save Jobs USA on behalf of American technology workers "only speculates about potential economic harm to its members, based on five-year-old affidavits".In its lawsuit filed in 2015, Save Jobs USA had argued that the regulation issued by the Obama administration to provide employment authorisation for certain H4 dependent spouses harms their members, who are American technology workers.After coming to power, the Trump administration in December 2017 informed the court that it plans to rescind the Obama-era regulations in this regard. Since then, it told the court about half-a-dozen times about its intention to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). However, the DHS has not rescinded "Employment Authorisation for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses" of 2015.The DHS's court submission was in response to the one by Save Jobs USA, which sought a preliminary injunction to stop the H-4 rule from providing qualifying H-4 visa-holders with temporary employment authorisation. Save Jobs USA had argued that the longer the case remains in abeyance, greater the harm to US workers. The DHS disagreed, asserting that there is no such indication.In an 11-page argument, the DHS asserted that Save Jobs USA failed to establish that its members' speculative economic injuries were sufficient to satisfy the DC Circuit's "high standard for irreparable injury".The claim of irreparable harm by Save Jobs USA relied on the H-4 rule eliminating or significantly reducing employment opportunities, meaning that the number of available information-technology jobs would significantly decline due to the H-4 rule, it said."But this relationship has not been shown to be 'certain' and 'actual', rather than merely 'theoretical'," the DHS argued.As such the DHS urged the court to deny the motion of Save Jobs USA, seeking a preliminary injunction enjoining the H-4 rule. Save Jobs USA had sought a stay on the H-4 ruling.An H-4 visa is issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. They had obtained work permits under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration in 2015.As of December 2017, the USCIS had approved 1,26,853 applications for employment authorisation for H-4 visa-holders. According to a 2018 report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), 93 per cent of approved applications for H-4 employment authorisation were issued to individuals born in India and five per cent to individuals born in China. LKJ RC

Trump admin urges US court not to block work permits to spouses of H1B visa-holders

A day after Indian government released statistics indicating surge in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=e-tourist+visa&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">e-tourist visa</a> travel by 137 per cent, it now plans to extend the facility to 36 more countries such as Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Italy, Nigeria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Morocco. 
 
If it gets a go-ahead, total 186 countries will have access to online visa facility to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=travel&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">travel</a> to India. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/These-are-the-countries-from-where-maximum-foreign-tourists-are-coming-to-India/articleshow/53175913.cms">These are the countries from where maximum foreign tourists are coming to India</a> 
 
The scheme has been working wonders for the Indian government and draws maximum tourists from the USA. 
 
As per the data by tourism ministry, from January to June 2016, a total of 4,71,909 tourists arrived on e-tourist visa as compared to 1,26,214 during January-June 2015.

India to extend e-tourist visa facility to 36 more countries

President-elect <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> has said he would not allow Americans to be replaced by foreign workers, in an apparent reference to cases like that of <keyword id="71278" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Disney-World">Disney World</keyword> and other American companies wherein people hired on H-1B visas, including Indians, displaced US workers, according to an agency report. 
 "We will fight to protect every last American life," <keyword id="6354862" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Trump">Trump</keyword> told thousands of his supporters in Iowa on Thursday as he referred to the cases of <keyword id="46161" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Disney">Disney</keyword> world and other US companies. 
 
"During the campaign I also spent time with American workers who were laid off and forced to train. The foreign workers brought in to replace them. We won't lthis happen anymore," Trump vowed amidst cheers and applause from the audience. 
 
"Can you believe that? You get laid off and then they won't give you your severance pay unless you train the people that are replacing you. I mean, that's actually demeaning maybe more than anything else," he said. 
 
Disney World and two outsourcing companies have been slapped with a federal lawsuit by two of its former technology staff, alleging that they conspired to displace American workers with cheaper foreign labour brought to the US on H-1B visas, mostly from India. 
 The two employees - <keyword id="3344371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Leo-Perrero">Leo Perrero</keyword> and <keyword id="3940932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="dena-moore">Dena Moore</keyword> - were among 250 Disney tech workers laid off from their jobs at <keyword id="235630" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Walt-Disney-World">Walt Disney World</keyword> in <keyword id="67774" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Orlando">Orlando</keyword> in January 2015. They have also dragged two IT companies <keyword id="3940931" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hcl-inc">HCL Inc</keyword> and <keyword id="3940446" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cognizent-technologies">Cognizent Technologies</keyword> into this class action lawsuit. 
 
"You know the name of one of the companies that's doing it. I'm going to be nice because we're trying to get that company back. Don't forget much harder when a company announced a year and a half ago - some of these companies, like Carrier, they announced long before I even knew I was going to be running for president," Trump said. 
 On immigration, Trump reiterated that he will build the wall along the <keyword id="3746" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mexico">Mexico</keyword> border. 
 
"We will put an end to illegal immigration and stop the drugs from pouring into our country, the drugs are pouring into our country, poisoning our youth and plenty of other people," he said. 
 
"We will stop the drugs from pouring into our country. We will stop the drugs from poisoning our great and beautiful and loving youth. OK? We'll do it," he said, adding that the Trump administration will stop the violence that is "spilling across our border."

Donald Trump is already signalling
at job cuts of Indians in the USA

India is fast emerging as an attractive destination for medical value travellers from across the globe. The drivers of medical tourism in India include a substantially lower cost of treatment, short waiting times and delivery of high-quality services. A cardiovascular surgery in the country can <a href="https://www.traveltrendstoday.in/news/india-tourism/item/5439-medical-tourism-emerging-as-a-next-growth-driver">cost</a> as little as Rs. 4-5 lakh compared to Rs. 80 lakhs in the U.S. Similarly, the <a href="https://www.tforg.com/how-we-think/sweetspot-blog/2016/08/30/healthcare-markets-india-pharmaceuticals-medical-devices-health-tourism/">waiting time</a> for a knee graft operation in India could be as short as five days compared to nearly 18 months in the U. K’s National Health Service. The <a href="http://bureaucracytoday.com/global_bureaucracy.aspx?id=135512">number of medical visitors</a> to India has been increasing steadily, up from 1,84,298 in 2014 to 3,61,060 in 2016. Future projections also seem promising, with the industry expected to touch <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/india-among-fastest-growing-medical-tourism-destinations-official/articleshow/61056202.cms">$9 billion by 2020</a>. Some key challenges, however, persist. While the government has taken several progressive steps concerning medical visas, more can be done to ease the travel of medical tourists to India. Additionally, the market continues to be largely unregulated, with several informal agents and intermediaries connecting prospective patients to health facilities. Domestic or international accreditation has been acquired by a relatively small number of health facilities, primarily hospitals. Most importantly perhaps, there is considerable lack of awareness in target markets about India’s capabilities, infrastructure and cost advantage in the health and wellness space. In many countries, there are misconceptions about India’s traditional systems of medicine such as Yoga and <keyword id="48379" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayurveda">Ayurveda</keyword> which are often perceived to be exclusive to Indian culture or even related to religion, instead of means for promoting healthy living. This is perhaps why India currently accounts for only 2% of the global wellness market. The Way Forward While a comprehensive medical tourism policy is in the works, some concrete and implementable measures in the short-term can go a long way in helping India realise its full potential in medical tourism. First, it may be worthwhile to revisit some of the medical visa norms. For instance, the process of registering at the <keyword id="6413540" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Foreigner">Foreigner</keyword> Regional Registration Offices could be made easier for patients by setting up helpdesks at major airports and hospitals across the country. The procedure for visitors who come on a tourist visa to switch to a medical visa should also be streamlined. Further, medical visa on arrival could be piloted for patients from countries like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, UAE, UK, UK and <keyword id="6356687" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="canada">Canada</keyword>. Second, the need for and importance of acquiring an accreditation should be widely publicised among all types of health and wellness providers, including dental clinics, Ayurveda and Yoga centres as well as medical tourism companies. As per the <a href="https://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/about-jci/jci-accredited-organizations/?c=India">Joint Commission International</a> (JCI) website, 36 Indian providers have been accredited by JCI compared to 61 in <keyword id="3739" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thailand">Thailand</keyword>. A JCI accreditation is considered to be the gold standard in global health care. Third, to enable better regulation of the market, a system should be put in place for registering agents and intermediaries. They should also be accredited according to the framework developed by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers and listed on all websites about medical tourism. Fourth, for promoting India as a medical and wellness tourism destination, intensive awareness campaigns should be undertaken in high potential markets (e.g. <keyword id="366595" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-East-Asia">South-East Asia</keyword> for medical treatments, <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword> and UK for wellness tourism), in addition to traditionally lucrative markets (e.g. SAARC, Middle East and Africa). The launch of the <keyword id="6019965" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-healthcare-tourism">India Healthcare Tourism</keyword> website by the government is an important step. There is an opportunity to make the website even more comprehensive by adding information on local travel and accommodation. The website also needs to be actively promoted through social media channels, in partnership with domestic and international medical tourism companies as well as leading hospital chains. By learning from the experiences of countries like <keyword id="8695" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword> and Thailand, a welcome lounge could be set up at airports where large numbers of medical tourists land as well as a dedicated call centre for international patients. The <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=134430">National Medical &amp; Wellness Tourism Promotion Board</a> can serve as the anchor point for the implementation of these measures. In the longer term, state-level boards should also be established to align with the board at the national level. The time is ripe to inject greater vitality into India’s already strong medical tourism industry and overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of the country becoming a global leader in the space. (Disclaimer: The author of this article is <keyword id="3110109" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urvashi-Prasad">Urvashi Prasad</keyword>, who is a Public Policy Specialist in the Office of the Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, the Indian Government’s Premier Think Tank. The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Insider India.)

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