This has been the most difficult year for Businessmen and Professionals. Lockdown imposed in the entire world has lead to the closure of many businesses and companies. There is a recession like situation and many organizations have started cost-cutting and employees are being fired or lay offed. The most affected will be the Information technology industry and IT and software, professionals as their jobs are totally dependent on the business scenario of the United States. Every year thousands of IT professionals travel to America on an H-1B visa to have a secure career and a stable future in a dream country like America. But this year due to COVID-19 and lockdown their future hangs in balance. Every Indian on H-1b visa dreams of getting U.S nationality and wants to settle in the US permanently. But this year H-1B visa employees might have to return after their visa is expired or the ones who are stuck in India due to lockdown have to stay back permanently.
In order to safeguard the interest of its citizen and giving employment to its citizens first, The President of the United States Donald Trump has passed an executive order banning the people on several types of Visas, including H-1Bs, from entering the country until 2021. Since Donald Trump became the President of the United States he strongly advocated for a change in US immigration laws and wanted to prevent people of different nationalities and refugees from entering the United States. There was a fear in the mind of H-1B visa holders since Donald Trump became the President. Through H-1B visa system many Indian tech companies sent their employees to work on-site many locations across the United States. Indian tech companies have criticized the decision and also urged the administration to reconsider its latest move. Many top leaders see this as a big blow to the already crippled Indian economy. H-1B visa employees are an asset to the U.S economy as well and this might be harmful for U.S. economy as well. Some Indian IT companies might consider placing their employees in other countries Mexico or Canada or even Australia will be a good option. Many H-1B visa employees who have to return might think of applying for the visa of other countries like Canada and Australia.
Donald Trump’s executive order is the latest step destroying peaceful India-America relations. The president has argued since taking office the visa programs allow employers to undercut native-born workers on wages, over the objections of companies that say they need highly skilled workers to fill crucial job openings. The latest move is slammed by many and Greg Siskind, an immigration lawyer in Memphis, said “use the pandemic as an excuse to achieve anti-immigration goals the administration has wanted to do for years.
But there is no response from the Indian Government yet. The administration should look into the matter and safeguard the interest and jobs of India and make a way to counter this move of the U.S government which has left many Indian jobless.
Yukti Kumar @ Samacharline