FINANCE MINISTER ARUN JAITLEY RAISES H1B VISA ISSUE WITH US COMMERCE SECRETARY >> P10

for Americans.

On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order to overhaul the H-1B program. One of the bills calls for a minimum wage of $130,000 against the current $60,000 for those being brought in on the visa category.

The higher ceiling will close the wage benefit the H1-B programme gave to US firms when they hired Indian workers, who typically draw significantly lower salaries than American workers at comparable levels.

According to industry body ASSOCHAM, nearly 86% of H-1B visas issued for workers in the technology sector goes to Indians and this figure could be scaled down to about 60% or less.

“Currently there are four Bills in the US Congress about curbs on H-1B visas. We are engaged (in a dialogue) with the US at very high level regarding this... We are making all efforts (through diplomatic channels) to ensure these Bills are not passed,” external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said in the Rajya Sabha in March.

Australia too tightened its visa rules for foreign workers, abolishing a scheme primarily used by Indians.

While India is engaging officials in most countries that have tightened work visa rules, prospect seems bleak.

“The government should always look at ways to promote legal immigration. If one destination is hit, there will be others, and they need to be explored and found out and proper legal mechanism for immigration should be arrived at with the host country”, said S Irudayarajan of Central for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram and a former consultant for the government on immigration.