H1B visa clampdown may cost US its edge

The report takes an in-depth look at how the H1B visa affects both economies

Clamp on its H1B visa programme will make it difficult for the US information technology (IT) sector to attract talent from countries such as India, a think tank has said.
 
 The US might lose its competitive edge because of the clampdown, said the Washington DC-based Center for Global Development (CGD). The Donald Trump administration is carrying out a review of non-immigrant visas. The CGD said in a report that the H1B visa, most sought after by Indian IT professionals, was beneficial for both India and the US.
 
“It is really important to make sure the IT sectors from both countries are allowed to attract the right kind of people because they really allow for innovation and growth in both the countries,” said Gaurav Khanna, fellow at the CGD and co-author of the research paper.

 

The report, The IT Boom and Other Unintended Consequences of Chasing the American Dream, takes an in-depth look at how the H1B visa affects both economies.
 
“Both have really benefited from the H1B programme,” he said. “What our paper is trying to stress is that on an average, the US is better off because of the programme. So, clamping  on the H1B programme will basically not allow the US IT sector to attract talent from places like India. The US might then lose its competitive edge in IT production.” He added that IT companies might move to countries like Canada in the event of large-scale clampdown on H1B visas.

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