H-1B visas: Mamata Banerjee voices concern for Indian techies in US
Mamata pledged solidarity with IT professionals in the US.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her concern over the proposed overhaul ​of the H-1B visa programme by US President Donald Trump. She said that it was the Centre’s responsibility to safeguard the interests of Indian IT companies and Indian techies working overseas.
In two separate tweets she said that the news regarding H-1B visa, was of concern. The tweets read, ‘News about H-1B visas is concerning. We must protect our IT companies and professionals and give them full support’ and ‘India is proud of the world-class talent of its IT techies. It is our duty to secure their interests’.
The US government issues 65,000 H-1B non-immigrant visas to companies for foreign employees and a new reform bill proposes to increase the present minimum salary of $ 60,000 a year to $130,000 per annum. Indian IT firms as well as global IT giants would be worst hit as their expenses to hire skilled foreign employees would shoot up. Smaller companies would not be able to hire them at all.