According to the agreed bill, the new $4,000 (Rs 2.66 lakh) fee would apply to companies that have at least 50 employees with 50% of their employees on H1B or L1 visa. Such companies would have to pay a new fee of $4,000 (Rs 2.66 lakh) for H1B visas and $4,500 (Rs 2.99 lakh) for L1 visas.
The US Congress has imposed a special fee of up to $4,500 (Rs 2.99 lakh) on the H1B and L1 visas popular among Indian IT companies to fund a 9/11 healthcare act and biometric tracking system.
Congressional leaders, while agreeing on the $1.1 trillion spending bill, on Wednesday decided to impose a special fee of $4,000 (Rs 2.66 lakh) on certain categories of H1B visas and $4,500 (Rs 2.99 lakh) on L1 visas. The US House of Representative is slated to vote on the $1.1 trillion spends bill deal tomorrow.
The money generated, expected to be more than a billion dollar per annum, would be used to fund a biometric entry and exit tracking system, in addition to funding health screenings and treatments for 9/11 first responders.
According to the agreed bill, the new $4,000 (Rs 2.66 lakh) fee would apply to companies that have at least 50 employees with 50% of their employees on H1B or L1 visa. Such companies would have to pay a new fee of $4,000 (Rs 2.66 lakh) for H1B visas and $4,500 (Rs 2.99 lakh) for L1 visas.
While the specific provisions of the spending bill has no mention of Indian IT companies, the language of the bill has been written in such a way that it would have a big impact on Indian IT companies.
Also read: US looks to reintroduce Rs 1.34 lakh fee for H1B, L1 visas on Indian IT companies
Though the lawmakers behind the bill described it as a temporary provision, the new H1B and L1 visa fee increase is for a period of 10 years as against a previous provision of five years. The previous such provision from 2010 to 2015 of $2,000 (Rs 1.33 lakh) for H1B visas lapsed on September 30.
In a study released in September this year, NASSCOM, a trade association of Indian IT industry, said Indian IT companies have paid between $70 - $80 million (Rs 468.37 - 535.28 crore) annually for the US Treasury approximately. Given that, the new punitive measure is expected to raise between $1.4 billion (Rs 9,367.4 crore) and $1.6 billion (Rs 10,705.6 crore) every year for the next one decade.
The bill expects that this provision would generate more than $1 billion (Rs 6,691 crore) per annum, it says that after $1 billion is deposited for 9/11 first responders and the Biometrics Ext account, the rest of the money would be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the issue with US President Barack Obama when the latter telephoned him to thank for his leadership role on achieving the historic agreement on climate change in Paris on December 12.
"The Prime Minister shared with President Obama the concerns of the Indian IT industry and professionals on the proposed legislation in the US Congress relating to H-1B and L-1 visas," according to the Prime Minister's Office.
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