Trump issues proclamation to suspend H-1B, other visas till year end
| Date :24-Jun-2020 |
By Lalit K Jha
WASHINGTON,
The proclamation that comes into effect on June 24, is expected to impact a large number of Indian IT professionals and several American and Indian companies who were issued H-1B visas by the US Government for the fiscal year 2021 beginning from October 1
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has issued a proclamation to suspend issuing of H-1B visas, which is popular among Indian IT professionals, along with other foreign work visas for rest of the year. Trump said the step was essential to help millions of Americans who have lost their jobs due to the current economic crisis. Issuing the proclamation ahead of the November presidential elections, Trump has ignored the mounting opposition to the order by various business organisations, lawmakers and human rights bodies. The proclamation that comes into effect on June 24, is expected to impact a large number of Indian IT professionals and several American and Indian companies who were issued H-1B visas by the US Government for the fiscal year 2021 beginning October 1.
They would now have to wait at least till the end of the current year before approaching the US diplomatic missions to get stamping. It would also impact a large number of Indian IT professionals who are seeking renewal of their H-1B visas. “In the administration of our Nation’s immigration system, we must remain mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labour market, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labour,” said the proclamation issued by Trump. In his proclamation, Trump said that the overall unemployment rate in the United States nearly quadrupled between February and May of 2020 -- producing some of the most extreme unemployment rates ever recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Corporates, lawmakers, rights bodies slam Trump admin’s move to suspend H-1B, other work visas
WASHINGTON,
June 23 (PTI)
TOP US lawmakers, corporates and human rights bodies working among the immigrant communities have slammed the Trump administration for suspending H-1B and other foreign work visas till December 31 to help millions of Americans hit by job losses during the coronavirus pandemic. They have urged the President to revoke the temporary suspension on visas. Expressing disappointment over the decision, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the H-1B programme in particular plays a crucial role in addressing the dangerous shortage of health care professionals while also providing other key sectors of our economy with talent from around the world to not only fill jobs, but create new ones. “Suspending this programme will only weaken our economy and our health care workforce at a time when the need to strengthen both is as clear as ever,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Senator Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Ro Khanna said the Government’s decision to temporarily suspend the visas is not the right approach. The American corporate sector said that the decision will hit innovation, push investment and economic activity abroad, slow growth, and reduce job creation. “Today’s proclamation is a severe and sweeping attempt to restrict legal immigration. Putting up a ‘not welcome’ sign for engineers, executives, IT experts, doctors, nurses and other workers won’t help our country, it will hold us back,” said Thomas Donohue, CEO of US Chambers of Commerce. Sundar Pichai, Indian-American CEO of Google, said immigration has contributed immensely to America’s economic success, making it a global leader in tech, and also Google, the company it is today.