As the president of the U.S. Donald Trump suspended a range of foreign workers visas including the H-1B ( H-1B visas every year to ‘high-skilled’ workers, often in the technology industry). the Indian’s would be the worst affected. Indians and especially the IT professional form a major chunk of H1B visas issued annually by the U.S. Trump has said that the proclamation is for helping millions of Americans.
As per Reuters Over 70% of 85,000 H-1B visas issued each year go to Indians. This is a huge number of Indian immigrants in the U.S. whose work visas would go suspended until the end of the year. Apart from the H-1B visa, Trump suspended H-2B, H-4, J-1, J-2, and L-1 visas. The H-2B visas are for seasonal non-agricultural labor. While H-4 visas are for the spouses and children of H-1B and H-2B holders.
J-1 visas are for cultural and educational exchange and J-2 visas are for the spouses and dependents of J-1 holders. L-1 visas which are for high-level and specialized company employees also have 24% Indians under out of the total approved visas. The suspensions would come into effect on June 24.
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A huge number of American and Indian companies who were issued H-1B visas would be hit by the move. With the H-4 visa also suspended the families of H-1B visa holders would also have to go back. With Presidential elections due in November this is seen as Trump’s move for pushing the ‘Great America for Americans’ narrative.
