INDIA SAYS TALKS POSITIVE AMID US MOVE TO PLUG H1B SHORTCUT

WASHINGTON: In a significant development for Silicon Valley and Indian IT firms , the Trump administration on Friday suspended “premium processing” of H-1Bs, a fast lane used by US companies to circumvent long waiting periods to get their petitions for high-skilled foreign workers approved, or rejected, for an additional fee.

It could severely impact the intake of foreign workers , add to the confusion that exists in the sector because of the administration’s stated plans to overhaul the H-1B programme, and, at least for the time being, force them to hire locally.

The announcement came just as a team of senior Indian officials led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar wrapped up a fourday engagement with the Trump administration during which they raised the issue of H-1B visas and India’s concerns multiple times.

They argued, Jaishankar told reporters on Friday, it “actually helps the American economy to be more competitive and if the Trump administration intention is to bring back American companies to America and attract more foreign investment in America, in the near term then it would be important that the growing America remain competitive”.

Asked about their response, he said, there was a “degree of understanding”. Rita Teaotia, the commerce secretary, said the administration gave the impression “it would be part of the overall immigration package”.

The new order also came in a week of heightened legislative interest in the issue, with two new bills.

One of them, which is co-sponsored by Indian-American Ro Khanna, seeks to prevent the “fraud and abuse” of the H-1B and L-1 (for intra-company transfer to the US) programmes, as critics of the programme have held for a while. And the other seeks to dissuade US call centres from relocating overseas.

The suspension of H-1B “premium processing” goes into effect on April 3.