Hyderabad: The impact of US President Donald Trump’s latest sanctions has been not just on H1-B Visa but also several other visas on the global arena. However, the new rules apply only to those who are outside the US and do not have a valid non-immigrant visa and other official travel documents.
Citizens travelling abroad with valid travel documents and official Visa stamping done on their passports are exempted from these rules. Following is the detailing of affect of these sanctions on such travelers:
H-1 B Visa Holders
H1-B Visa holders are those people who are employed by the companies based out of the United States of America, owing to their specific talent requirement. Starting from the date of the 1st October this year, the 2021 financial year is going to begin for the United States and several companies from India have issued respective H1-B visas. Such employees will have to wait till the end of this calendar year, if not more, owing to the latest decisions taken by the US government. Only then, can they get their travel documents stamped and finally take up the travel.
Students who wish to change their visa status
The new regulation will not affect those who are already staying in the US with valid documents. It shall also not affect those students who are currently staying under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) option and wish to change their status to H-1 B visa. However, experts opine that such students should not leave the US as leaving the country and then trying to re-enter may attract all the new regulations upon them.
H-2B Visa
This visa is given to temporary workers in the non-agricultural sector. It is issued to a maximum of 66,000 people per year. It appears that there is no chance of entry into the country, for those, who wish to work in the fields of food processing and hotels with the onset of the latest restrictions this year.
H-4 Visa
This visa is issued for the life-partners and other dependants like children of the H1-B visa holders, who wish to work in the United States. Besides the J-1 visas, and J-2 visas which are provided to the spouses, children and dependents of the J-1 visa holders, along with the L-2 visas issued to the dependents of the L-1 visa holders, under the Exchange Programs are brought into the framework of the new regulations.
Read: Trump move on visas to hit IT sector, not bilateral ties: Experts
L-1
L- 1 visas are intended for internal transfers within a company. Under the latest orders, those who are abroad are unable to enter the same company in the US on transfer.
H-1B visa
The United States of America issues 50,000 visas on an annual basis. Of these, India’s share is reportedly about 30,000. Around three lakh Indians are said to be affected by these sanctions. Indians living in USA on H1-B Visas, expressing dissatisfaction with Trump’s decision.
Trump says the decision had to be taken to help millions of Americans who lost their jobs under the influence of Corona. According to official sources, Trump's decision could give American citizens 5,25,000 jobs. Many CEOs including Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed displeasure over the latest orders. Indian-American legislator Raja Krishnamurthy has suggested that the President should reconsider the decision on the issuance of visas.
He mentioned that this decision might affect to a large extent the revival of the American economy while facing the next level of the Corona epidemic. Some of the top senators also responded that the visa policy should not be frozen but be changed if necessary, to suit the temporary conditions.
They felt that with such decisions, economic growth in the US will be more difficult to bring it to reorder. Others say that American companies will also be financially burdened by having to hire Americans instead of Indians.
How does it affect Telugu NRIs
US President Donald Trump's decision to stop the issue of visas has put the young people of the Telugu states into a state of confusion. Thousands of migrants from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been forced to stay back and unable to go to US due to a moratorium on job visas. Even officials agree that there are not enough qualified and skilled technicians in the US to work in software companies.
One estimate is that only about 29 percent of the workforce in the US will be able to replace the workmanship in the companies. Most of the rest are from India only. Representatives of the placement firms say the latest decision will affect various other projects too.
25,000 people selected in lottery process are disappointed
Annually, a lottery is held to select eligible persons who have applied for employment in the US. The visa issuance process only applies to the selected applicants in the lottery. This year's lottery process was completed a month and a half ago.
Those selected in the lottery will go to the US in four and a half months. However, the US government shut down embassies and consulates around the world after the spread of the ugly corona virus started raging in the days immediately following the lottery process.
This left the selected applications remain in portfolios on the shelves itself. Visa consultants have been informed that around 25,000 people were selected this year, from two Telugu states.
US gates were closed to them in the wake of the ban. Another round of the lottery process will have to be followed again, for all these applicants, post the corona era, as per an Attorney in a lottery next year should try their luck, as per a US Attorney’s comment with ‘Eenadu’ on Tuesday.
Owing to the current situation, those who have visited India for getting their H1-B visas extended will not be able to go back to their workplace for at least another 6 months, as stated by the representative of Ajaykumar Vemulapati of IMFS Consultancy.
