Trump promises policy changes to allow H1B visa workers US citizenship

US President Donald Trump on Friday assured H1B visa holders, a majority of whom are Indian IT professionals, that his administration will soon bring changes that will give them certainty to stay in America and a “potential path to citizenship”. 

Trump on Friday tweeted that his administration is planning an overhaul of US policies on H1B visa and will encourage talented and highly-skilled people to pursue career options in the US. “H1B holders in the US can rest assured that changes are soon coming which will bring both simplicity and certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship. We want to encourage talented and highly skilled people to pursue career options in the US,” Trump tweeted on Friday.

Trump’s tweet comes as a good news for Indian professionals, especially in the IT sector, who currently have to wait for nearly a decade to get a Green Card or permanent legal residency.

In the first two years of his presidency, Trump administration made it tough for the H1B visa holders over their overstay, extension and issuing of new visa to them.

The H1B visa, most sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Trump’s major announcement on H1B visas — through twitter, without any further details — comes as part of his known preference to attract and retain best talent in the US.

In recent weeks, he has been talking about a merit-based immigration system to reduce overall immigration to the US.