Close X
Friday, November 1, 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

Malala Joins Twitter, Gains Over 100K Followers In 30 Minutes

Malala Joins Twitter, Gains Over 100K Followers In 30 Minutes
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai made her debut on Twitter on Friday evening with a simple ‘Hi’.

Malala Joins Twitter, Gains Over 100K Followers In 30 Minutes

WATCH: A Stroll On Beach By PM Modi, Israel's Netanyahu Makes Waves On Internet

WATCH: A Stroll On Beach By PM Modi, Israel's Netanyahu Makes Waves On Internet
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has capped a historic three-day visit to Israel with a barefoot stroll along the Mediterranean shore with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

WATCH: A Stroll On Beach By PM Modi, Israel's Netanyahu Makes Waves On Internet

WATCH: 67-Year-Old Sikh Postmaster Stabbed; Turban Ripped Off By Robber In UK

WATCH: 67-Year-Old Sikh Postmaster Stabbed; Turban Ripped Off By Robber In UK
A 67-year-old Sikh postmaster in the UK was stabbed in the neck and head and his turban ripped off by a robber during a violent knife attack

WATCH: 67-Year-Old Sikh Postmaster Stabbed; Turban Ripped Off By Robber In UK

US Rolls Out Expedited Entry For Low-Risk Indian Travellers

US Rolls Out Expedited Entry For Low-Risk Indian Travellers
The US has started rolling out for India its Global Entry programme, which allows for expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travellers.

US Rolls Out Expedited Entry For Low-Risk Indian Travellers

Inspired By Indian Television Show 'CID', Pak Boy Kills Sister Over Poor Handwriting Jibe

Inspired By Indian Television Show 'CID', Pak Boy Kills Sister Over Poor Handwriting Jibe
An 11-year-old boy in Pakistan, who was inspired by a popular Indian television series CID, has been arrested for allegedly killing his younger sister after she teased him for his poor handwriting.

Inspired By Indian Television Show 'CID', Pak Boy Kills Sister Over Poor Handwriting Jibe

Lord Swraj Paul Dedicates Caparo Plants In Honour Of His Late Son

Lord Swraj Paul Dedicates Caparo Plants In Honour Of His Late Son
Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has dedicated Caparo plants in India in honour of his late son Angad Paul.

Lord Swraj Paul Dedicates Caparo Plants In Honour Of His Late Son