US doubles Visa fee for Indian IT workforce

The US Congress has doubled the ‘outsourcing fee’ for Indian IT professionals to $4,000 from $2,000. This would apply to applicants who employ 50 or more employees in the United States if more than 50 percent of the applicant's employees are non-immigrants, the Congress said.

The move is expected to not go well with the IT industry. IT Companies often fly skilled workforce to overseas clients. However, there is growing agitation among US workers who say big companies employ cheaper foreign workers this way. The $2,000 outsourcing fee for H-1B visas and a $2,250 fee for some L-1 visa were primarily used for intra-company transfers.

The Press Information Bureau said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "shared with President Obama the concerns of the Indian IT industry and professionals on the proposed legislation in the US Congress relating to H1B and L1 visas," during a call.

India's $146 billion IT industry has gained a lot from the temporary US work visas. NASSCOM has been holding the visa fee as discriminatory towards Indian IT companies.

Image credit: Indiatimes