India has signaled its intent to actively engage in conversations with the United States concerning H-1B visa policies and related matters, highlighting the significance of professional mobility and migration in the broader framework of their bilateral relationship. This comes as concerns grow about potential tightening of immigration regulations under President Donald Trump’s second term, particularly impacting Indian IT professionals and skilled workers who rely heavily on H-1B and L-1 visas.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, underlined India’s commitment to maintaining a robust dialogue on these issues with the US, stating, “We would like to have a good dialogue with them on all these issues.” He further emphasized the strengthening of India-US relations, underscoring the importance of professional mobility and migration partnerships as key elements of their shared ties.
Jaiswal highlighted that the exchange of professionals, migration partnerships, and educational exchanges contribute significantly to the overall India-US relationship. “As far as H-1B is concerned, mobility and migration partnership is a part of the bilateral relations between our two countries,” Jaiswal stated, acknowledging the substantial number of Indian professionals working in the US and Indian students pursuing higher education there. “Many of our professionals work in the US, several Indian students study there,” he added, emphasizing the mutually beneficial nature of these connections, including their role in fostering broader investment partnerships.
However, anxieties are rising regarding potential changes in US immigration policies under President Trump’s second term. A recent report by JM Financial indicated that Trump’s previous stance on employment-based immigration, which led to increased scrutiny and denial rates for H-1B and L-1 visas during his first term, might resurface.
During his first term, Trump’s executive order “Buy American and Hire American” resulted in increased restrictions on H-1B visas, leading to a surge in denial rates for these visas from 4% to 17% and for L-1 visas from 12% to 28%. If similar policies are implemented during his second term, they could significantly impact IT service firms, which heavily rely on these visas to recruit talented individuals from India.
The Trump administration previously attempted to raise minimum wage requirements for H-1B visa holders, which would have made it considerably more expensive for employers to hire foreign talent. Although these wage policies were ultimately blocked by courts, their potential reintroduction could pose a significant challenge for tech companies reliant on foreign workers for specialized skills.
In his US election victory speech on Wednesday at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida, Trump celebrated what he called an “unprecedented and powerful mandate.” He promised his supporters a “golden age” for America, vowing to fulfill his pledge to “make America great again.” This vision could potentially involve the implementation of stricter immigration policies.
The tech and IT sectors are closely monitoring the situation, anticipating new policies that could reshape the landscape for skilled foreign workers in the United States. The outcome of these potential changes will have far-reaching implications for both Indian professionals seeking opportunities in the US and the overall US economy, particularly the tech industry.
