 "The H-1B issue became a heated controversy during the past week. Reuters")
Woried by the ongoing debate about US President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration policy, reports are emerging that several Indian H-1B visa holders and avoiding travelling outside the United States. Several Indians with American visas told The Strait Times that their employers and immigration lawyers have been asking them to return to the US before Trump assumes power on January 20.
The rise in fear is coming amid brewing debate among Trump supporters on whether the president should limit the number of H1-B visas awarded to foreign professionals every year. Many Indians are avoiding travelling out of the US fearing that a visa rule change block could block their re-entry to the US.
The H-1B is a temporary visa to the US for skilled foreign workers with a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree. It can be renewed every three years and is considered a stepping stone towards getting a permanent residency and eventually a green card. It is pertinent to note that Indian professionals are one of the main beneficiaries of the H1-B visa.
According to The Strait Times, in 2023, 278,148 professionals from India made up more than 72 per cent of H-1B visas issued and renewed, followed by Chinese citizens at 12 per cent. Interestingly, nearly two in three H-1B holders work in computer-related jobs, with an average annual salary of US$118,000.
Where does Trump stand on the matter?
The debate on H-1B visas started after Trump named venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan to an advisory role in artificial intelligence (AI). Krishnan was born and educated in India and moved to the United States in 2007 to work at Microsoft. He became a US citizen in 2016 and is now a venture capitalist.
Several Trump loyalists especially the supporters of Make America Great initiatives called out Krishnan’s past statements advocating the removal of “country caps for green cards” and to “unlock skilled immigration." However, he never passed any comments on the H-1B visas, a top raised by supporters of Trump’s Make America Great (MAGA) initiative.
Meanwhile, Trump’s advisers such as Tesla founder Elon Musk and Republican politician Vivek Ramaswamy have expressed support for legal, high-skill immigration. Trump, however, held contradictory views on the programme. At a New Year’s Eve party in 2024, he told reporters: “We need smart people coming into our country."
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBut when asked about H-1B during a 2016 Republican presidential debate, he said: “We shouldn’t have it. Very, very bad for workers.” Trump has made immigration a core issue during his campaign, frequently mentioning that 1.6 million people immigrated to the US in 2023, the most in two decades. Hence, it will be interesting to see whether he will promote or scale back on providing H-1B visas to professionals.
With inputs from agencies.