Jaitley: US must decide quickly on H1B visa | Fusion - WeRIndia

Arun Jaitley, the Indian Minister of Finance, is currently in Washington D.C. to attend the yearly meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

He is specifically raising his concerns over the H-1B visa, which allows American companies to employ foreign workers who work in specialty occupations.

For the most part, this visa is sought by Indian IT professionals. Jaitley raised the issue with the American Secretary of Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, and the American Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross. Jaitley emphasized the importance of Indian IT professionals to the US economy, and made note of the fact that they come here legally.

Currently, there are rising concerns in America about illegal immigration into the country, especially concerning the prospect of these immigrants taking away people’s jobs.

However, Jaitley stated how the people coming from India on the H-1B visas are not illegal immigrants, since the visa grants them the right to go into the country legally.

Additionally, Jaitley made note of the fact that the people coming on these visas are high-value professionals, and that they are vital contributors to the American economy.

Therefore, he stated that Indian IT professionals should be given a different treatment than actual illegal immigrants. Most crucially, Jaitley encouraged that the American government choose appropriately while making their decision on their visa policy.

The American visa policy has a large impact on the Indian economy as well. Indian technology companies depend on the H-1B visa, which they use to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their American operations.

In fact, the American market accounts for 60% of the revenue of the IT industry of India.

Therefore, the decision is extremely impactful to the economy of India. Jaitley’s concerns address the vitality of this visa to both the American and Indian economies.

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