Visa curbs on Indians will also hurt the US: Sushma

“We are not just talking with the US authorities (on H-1B visas and related issues), we are talking with logic and concrete statistics,” Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. “This is a mutually beneficial partnership, and we have told the US that if you snap these ties, it will not hurt us alone, it will also hurt you,” she said. 

She said the Indian IT companies operating in the US are generating jobs there and contributing to the US exchequer. “We have told them that it is not true that Indians are stealing their jobs. Indian firms in US are generating employment for the Americans. So far, Indian companies have given direct employment to 1.56 lakh Americans and supportive jobs to 4.11 lakh,” she said. 

She added that between 2011 and 2015, the Indian companies have made an investment of $2 bn, paid taxes worth $20 bn and Indian workers have contributed $7 bn to the social security scheme. Besides, she added, the American companies in India are earning $27.5 bn annually. 

The External Affairs Minister informed the house that the Foreign Secretary and the Commerce Secretary visited the US between Feb 28 and Mar 3 this year and held meetings with cabinet ministers and senior functionaries of the new US administration as well as with the Congressional leadership. 

“We have emphasised that Indian skilled professionals have contributed to the growth and development of the US economy and have helped the US retain its competitive edge and innovation advantage,” she said. 

Swaraj said the Trump administration has so far not announced any comprehensive policy changes impacting non-immigrant work visa programmes. H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the US which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. It was first introduced in 1990 and since then the policy has seen a lot of flip-flop. 

When H-1B visas were first introduced, the cap was a total of 65,000. In the year 2000, it was raised to 1,95,000 for three years. In 2004, the number of these visas was again reversed to 65,000 by the US. The H-1B also allows visa-holders to bring their spouse and children under 21 to the US as dependants. After Trump assumed office, there has been a lot of uncertainty over the future of H-1B visa-holder Indians working in the US with four bills about the H-1B visas pending in the US Congress.