US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an Executive Order to restrict H-1B, L-1, and other temporary work permits on Monday, a decision likely to affect Indians the most. The move is part of the US government's efforts to curb immigration and help boost local employment in the country.
The likely plan to suspend temporary work visas, including the highly-coveted H-1B visa, may affect around 2.4 lakh people from across the world seeking to work in the US. Among these, Indian IT (information technology) professionals could be the worst-hit as they dominate the list of successful (H-1B) visa applicants.
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Speaking to Fox News in an interview on Saturday, Trump said he would announce new restrictions on several work visas on Sunday or Monday, adding that there will be very few exclusions. He further stated that the plan will not impact those already in the US on work visas."In some cases, you have to have exclusions. You need them for big businesses where they have certain people that have been coming in for a long time," he said.
According to an earlier report by news agency Bloomberg, the Trump administration is mulling a proposal to limit people from entering the US across visa categories comprising the H-1B visa for as long as 180 days.
Another report in NPR News also suggested that Trump is expected to suspend all temporary work visas till the year end.
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"The executive action is also expected to suspend H-2B visas for seasonal workers such as hotel and construction staff, J-1 visas, which are meant for research scholars and professors, and other cultural and work-exchange programs," the report stated.Meanwhile, several tech companies and industry bodies have already cautioned the government against any such restrictions as they would be counter-productive for the US economy.
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