Close X
Friday, November 22, 2024
ADVT 
International

No Restrictions On H-1B Visa: US official

IANS, 14 Sep, 2017 12:32 PM
  • No Restrictions On H-1B Visa: US official
A senior US official on Thursday sought to allay India’s concerns on the H-1B visa programme, which is being “reviewed” by the Trump administration, saying there are no “restrictions” in place.
 
The official said around 70 per cent of the visas issued under the H-1B category over the past nine months have gone to Indians and that a record 1.2 million visas of Indians were adjudicated by the US last year.
 
The year-over-year increase in terms of issuance of H-1B visas and L1 visas (work permit) to Indians is six per cent each, the official said.
 
“The President (Donald Trump) spoke about review. There are no restrictions but it (H-1B) is under review,” he said, adding the issue was not on the agenda for the upcoming Indo- US bilateral dialogue on consular relations, but it may come up in the course of the talks.
 
The issue of the repealing of the Deferred Action for Children Arrival (DACA) programme, which has hit more than 7,000 Indian-Americans, may also figure in the talks scheduled to be held on September 27 in Washington.
 
Trump had signed an executive order in April for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop “visa abuses”.
 
The DACA amnesty programme granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children.
 
The official also said the US processed around 88,000 student visa applications last year, which is an increase of 15 per cent over 2015. Currently, there are around 1.6 lakh Indian students in the US, which is the second highest number of international students, after China.
 
Indian citizens made up six per cent of worldwide immigrant visa applicants, making them the fifth largest group of new immigrants after those from China, Philippines, Dominican Republic and Mexico.
 
The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. 

MORE International ARTICLES

UK Police Hold Sikh Man And His Son At Gunpoint After His Tyre Popped ‘Like Gunfire'

UK Police Hold Sikh Man And His Son At Gunpoint After His Tyre Popped ‘Like Gunfire'
Sukhi Rayat Was Sitting In His Bmw On His Drive When Police With Dogs Swooped. Unit Shoved Him And His Teen Son Against A Wall, Cuffed Them And Searched Home

UK Police Hold Sikh Man And His Son At Gunpoint After His Tyre Popped ‘Like Gunfire'

Burglars Loot Jewellery Worth Millions From Indian Chain In 'Audacious' East London Raid

Burglars Loot Jewellery Worth Millions From Indian Chain In 'Audacious' East London Raid
A gang of thieves smashed their way into the UK branch of an Indian jewellery shop in a "meticulously planned and audacious raid" and stole 1.8 million pounds worth of gold, diamond and other jewels, police said on Friday.

Burglars Loot Jewellery Worth Millions From Indian Chain In 'Audacious' East London Raid

Campfire Bans, Backcountry Restrictions Lifted In B.C. As Wildfire Risk Drops

Campfire Bans, Backcountry Restrictions Lifted In B.C. As Wildfire Risk Drops
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — Restrictions on travel to British Columbia's backcountry and bans on campfires were lifted in some parts of the province on Wednesday as improved conditions lowered the wildfire risk.

Campfire Bans, Backcountry Restrictions Lifted In B.C. As Wildfire Risk Drops

Fines Issued For Violating B.C. Campfire Ban After Photo Circulates

Fines Issued For Violating B.C. Campfire Ban After Photo Circulates
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — The BC Wildfire Service says a $1,150 ticket for violating a campfire ban was issued after an investigation involving workers from the department.

Fines Issued For Violating B.C. Campfire Ban After Photo Circulates

Indian-Origin Fund Manager Mathew Martoma's Insider Trading Conviction Upheld

Indian-Origin Fund Manager Mathew Martoma's Insider Trading Conviction Upheld
Mathew Martoma, 43, was convicted in 2014 for his role as the “central figure” in the most lucrative insider trading scheme ever charged involving $275 million in illegal profits.

Indian-Origin Fund Manager Mathew Martoma's Insider Trading Conviction Upheld

Globe And Mail Journalist Nathan VanderKlippe Detained For Three Hours By Chinese Officials

Globe And Mail Journalist Nathan VanderKlippe Detained For Three Hours By Chinese Officials
The Globe and Mail says one of its journalists was detained while reporting in the Xinjiang region in western China.

Globe And Mail Journalist Nathan VanderKlippe Detained For Three Hours By Chinese Officials