India assessing impact of US President Donald Trump's H-1B visa ban

Two days after President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington D.C. temporarily barred the entry of foreigners to the United States on H-1B and other work-visas, New Delhi said that it was assessing its impact on the professionals and industry of India.

“This is likely to affect the movement of Indian skilled professionals who avail of the non-immigrant visa programmes to work lawfully in the US,” Anurag Srivastava, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said, reacting to American President’s June 22 proclamation to suspend issuing of the H-1B and other work visas as well as entry of the ones who had already received such visas.

“We are assessing the impact of the order on Indian nationals and industry in consultation with stakeholders,” added the MEA spokesperson.

He underlined that people-to-people linkages and trade and economic cooperation, especially in technology and innovation sectors were an important dimension of the US-India partnership.

“High-skilled Indian professionals bring important skill sets, bridge technological gaps and impart a competitive edge to the US economy. They have also been a critical component of the workforce that is at the forefront of providing Covid-19 related assistance in key sectors, including health, information technology and financial services,” reminded Srivastava.

“The US has always welcomed talent. We hope our professionals will continue to be welcomed in the US in the future,” he said.