Help Indians in US facing troubles with Green Card: Rajeev Gowda to govt

Congress MP Rajeev Gowda on Thursday urged the government to engage with the United States to ease the troubles of Indians whose H-1B visas are expiring and are waiting for Green Card.

Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, he said a proposal being considered by the US Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump would adversely affect Indians.

He said the plan is not to extend H-1B visas of those waiting for the Green Card, which would grant them permanent residency.

"Currently, such workers are allowed extension of their H-1B visa, usually indefinitely, until the Green Card process is completed.

Deportation risk

If the new proposal is accepted, H-1B visa holders would have to exit the US till the processing of Green Card is completed. This has the potential to adversely impact lives of lakhs of Indians, who face the risk of deportation. It also affects their families and companies," he said.

According to Gowda, more than 50% of 85,000 H-1B visas currently issued every year go to Indians.

"Based on the backlog, more than two lakh Indians with H-1B visas will be affected by this. They are huge contributors to the wealth creation in the US. Though such a disruptive move would affect the US as well, it is still being considered.

In view of this, I urge the government to engage with the US administration as well with Indian and American companies to address this issue," he said.

"Otherwise, make plans to assist all these people who are facing the risk of having to come back home in a disruptive manner," he added.