NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2020) The latest US decision to suspend certain types of work visas, including for those employed in the high-tech industry, with a view to protecting jobs amid the pandemic will affect the inflow of Indian skilled professionals who work in the country lawfully and represent a critical force in driving a technological edge of the American economy, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspends several categories of non-immigrant work visas until December 31 as part of an effort to open up more jobs for Americans hit by the pandemic. The list includes an H-1B visa for skilled foreign workers, which has triggered a backlash from the high-tech industry. Over 70 percent of recipients of this visa are high-skilled workers from India.
"This is likely to affect the movement of Indian skilled professionals who avail of these non-immigrant visa programmes to work lawfully in the US. We are assessing the impact of the order on Indian nationals and industry in consultation with stakeholders," the ministry's spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.
The diplomat noted that people-to-people contacts as well as trade and economic cooperation, especially in high technology, have been vital to the India-US 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," Srivastava stated.
According to the spokesman, "the US has always welcomed talent," and India hopes it to continue to do so.
