Indian IT cos to benefit from H-1B filing fee drop: Law firm

The sharp drop of USD 2,000 filing fees for H-1B visa seekers to US may benefit the top Indian IT companies, an American immigration law firm said today.
"The additional filing fees of USD 4,325 for H-1B visa was reduced by USD 2,000 by the US Government earlier this month. This is a good news for the local IT industry.
"It will be now less costly for companies to petition for individual workers as there is a saving of USD 2,000 per case," Fakhoury Law Group Manging Attorney Rami D Fakhoury told reporters here.
Fakhoury Law Group's affiliated company Fakhoury Global Immigration supports corporate clients in deputing their employees across the world under various visa categories available in the US.

Leading IT companies, including Infosys, TCS and Wipro, among others, apply for a large numbers of H-1B visas for their skilled workers to work in the US every year.
India's USD 146 billion IT outsourcing industry has been a beneficiary of the temporary visas that are required by skilled foreigners to work in the US.

India-based IT companies invested more than USD 2 billion in 2011-2013, paid USD 22.5 billion in taxes to the US Treasury in those years, and today support more than 411,000 direct and indirect jobs, including 300,000 held by US citizens and permanent residents, Nasscom said in a study last month.

"We see a strong demand for H-1B visas this year from Indian IT, ITES, engineering services and healthcare firms. India is poised to be a leader with human resources because of its ability to deliver," Fakhoury said.
Many changes have been made in the immigration laws across the world today. Almost all countries are protecting their local labour force and desire to generate revenues as taxes from the foreign employees, he said.
Commenting on the company's expansion plans in India, Fakhoury said it has opened an office in Mumbai and will soon enter New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai to serve the clients in a better and efficient way.