There is
growing concern that India’s $150 billion information technology industry,
which relies heavily on exports to the United States, could slow and become
less competitive if the Trump administration tightens rules on hiring skilled
foreign workers.
Earlier this
month, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress raising the minimum salary
for positions granted under the H-1B visa scheme from $60,000 to $100,000 per
year.
Indian IT
companies, which send hundreds of Indian tech professionals to the United
States, are among the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B visa program, which
allows foreign professionals to work in the United States.
“H-1B is a
very important lifeline for the sector, so if there is a tougher stand on the
visas, companies would have to substantially increase local hiring,” said Madhu
Babu, who studies the tech sector at brokerage firm, Prabhudas Lilladher in
Mumbai.
Sponsors of
the bill say it is designed to close loopholes in the high-skilled immigration
system being used by some companies to import cheap foreign workers.
Photo Credit:
VOANEWS
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