H-1B Visa Restrictions

Nasscom further said that with the fee being applicable from 2026 onward, companies have time to further expand skilling programs in the US and enhance local hiring

Another silver lining for the companies and the markets, analysts said, is the falling dependence on the H-1B visa in the last few years.

As H-1B scrutiny tightens and tech layoffs rise, Indian professionals are turning to alternative US visas like L-1, O-1 and EB-5 for stability and long-term stay

The social media company founded by former President Donald Trump applied for a business visa program that he sought to restrict during his administration and which many of his allies want him to curtail in a potential second term. Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, filed an application in June 2022 for an H-1B visa for a worker at a USD 65,000 annual salary, the lowest wage category allowed under the program. Federal immigration data shows the company was approved for a visa a few months later. The company says it did not hire the worker. Filing for the visa sets the image of Trump the candidate, who has proposed a protectionist agenda for companies to hire American, in conflict with Trump the businessman, who has said his companies will use every tool at their disposal. Records show the investment firm started by Trump's son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, also filed an application and was approved to hire a foreigner as an associate .

"Most employers hire H-1B workers because they can be underpaid and are de facto indentured to the employer," the EPI research said.

The H-1B visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The powerful US Chambers of Commerce has launched a campaign to address the acute shortage of skilled and workforce, which includes urging the Biden administration to double the number of H-1B visas

Trump's H-1B ban expires: What this means for Indian IT professionals

The US issues up to 85,000 H-1B visas each year. Most of the nearly 600,000 H-1B visa holders are from India and China

The move is expected to come to the rescue of a large number of Indian IT professionals who were having a tough time during the previous Trump administration rule

Trump's biggest H-1B changes blocked: What it means for Indian techies

A US court has blocked two H-1B regulations proposed by the Trump administration to restrict the ability of American companies to hire foreign employees

'Trump exceeded constitutional authority': Three key updates on H-1B visa

Donald Trump's order to enforce ban on US companies' favourite visa, H-1b, has been blocked by a US federal judge

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services data, the share of Indian companies among the top 10 visa recipients has dropped from 51 per cent to 24 per cent during the 2016-19 period.

Indian IT companies have reduced their dependence on the visas because of the tightening of visa issuances

The changes may see the introduction of additional requirements to ensure employers pay appropriate wages to H-1B visa holders

Some employers note traditional three-year renewable terms of H-1Bs have also been changing

The Trump administration has been tightening the rules for H-1B visas and plans to revoke the ability of spouses to work as part of the effort

The H-1B filing process begins from April 2 for the fiscal year 2019 starting October 1

The US, which has taken a number of steps to tighten visa processes, accounts for over 60 per cent of India's IT export revenues

Congressman Darrell Issa is the author of the 'Protect and Grow American Jobs Act', which is seen by Indian IT companies as a business killer