Fresh H-1B memo means more paper trail for Indian IT | In the News

Indian IT services firms may see a higher number of requests for further evidence from US immigration authorities on their applications for H-1B visas, delaying the deployment of engineers on projects on work visa and increasing their cost.

Under the Trump administration’s new visa policy announced on Thursday, companies have to prove that the employees they send to the US on H-1B visas have “specific and non-speculative qualifying assignments in a speciality occupation” for the entire visa period. The memo issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office makes it compulsory to seek evidence on the visa petitioners’ speciality occupation. This, say analysts, would increase red tape.

“We do not believe that the prospect of near-term immigration reform passing is likely. However, there is a wide range of ability to administratively change the existing regulations which will likely further restrict the large Indian firms’ use of non-US labour in their onshore model. This letter is a great example of this happening,” said Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO of global IT research firm Everest Group. “This memo is a clear example of this current administration looking to constrain us of non ..

Read more in The Economic Times

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