By Admin 
American Republican Senator Mike Lee has expressed the possibility of banning the H1B visa. He questioned in response to a post on the social media platform X (Twitter) whether the time has come to stop the H1B visa now? The statement came at a time when a post claimed that an officer of Walmart was given a bribe to give priority to the Indian H1B employees. Mike Lee has become the new leader raising his voice on this issue, which has intensified the ongoing debate on the H1B program in America.
The H1B visa started in 1990 allows American companies to appoint foreign employees in specific businesses. This visa is released for three years, which can be extended to a maximum of six years. Every year the US government issues 65,000 H1B visas, while 20,000 additional visas are given to master or PHD from American universities. India has long been the greatest beneficiary of the H1B visa program, especially for IT and technology professionals.
Partition on H1B in American politics
Recently, partition in American politics on H1B visa is clearly visible. Vice President JD Vance said that large tech companies remove American employees and recruit H1B employees, which is injustice to American professionals. He gave examples that companies are applying for foreign work visas even after taking out thousands of employees. On the other hand, Trump had earlier described the H1B visa as a great program and said that employees with H1B visa holders work in many companies.
USCIS director’s stance and possibility of new rules
Newly appointed director of USCIS Joseph Adlo has said that the H1B visa should be used to complement American economy and workers and not to replace them. According to US media reports, the Trump administration is considering eliminating the H1B lottery system and implementing the salary-based priority system. This means that employees who get high salary will get priority.
Impact on Indian professionals
The largest share in the H1B visa program is Indian IT and technical professionals. Every year thousands of Indian engineers, doctors and researchers go through the US H1B visa. If the rules are strict or banned, it will directly affect India’s IT sector and Indian talent.
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