Thread: MPs seeks Pranab's intervention to extend H1-B deadline

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New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) With the economic recession in the United States resulting in joblessness for H1-B Indian workers, a number of parliamentarians have written to External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee seeking his intervention.
According to representations received from Indian workers abroad, the US government is allegedly targeting H1-B visa holders many of whom are in danger of losing their jobs.

Currently, there are an estimated 650,000 Indian immigrants in the US working under the H1-B visa programme (These were originally supposed to be temporary workers, but along with throwing hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work, they are now petitioning the American government for immigration status which brings benefits that are not open to American citizens; many of them got into the US with fraudulent resumes). Also, there are 100,000 Indian students who go to pursue higher studies and career under the same programme (Last year Michael Chertoff approved this student visa program which automatically stops American students from applying to the jobs that H-1B students hold. Several laws are being broken here, but that is the type of decision the Bush White House made to throw hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work).

"Once they lose their jobs they are required to leave the country within 30 days otherwise they become out of status (illegal). This does not give sufficient time to sell their homes, pack up and leave the country, thus causing their families undue hardships," stated representative of Overseas Congress, New York, B R Prasad in his representation to MPs Aruna Kumar Vundavalli and V Hanumantha Rao.

Pointing out that this will have an huge impact on the Indian economy, V Hanumantha Rao said it might lead to 30,000- plus legitimate companies shutting down threatening the future of more than 1.5 million qualified immigrants.

Requesting Mukherjee's intervention with the US government, both the MPs have sought an extension of the deadline offered to H1-B visa holders by six months instead of the 30 day deadline. PTI

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H-1B visa ban for bailed out US firms is protectionism:Montek



New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) As President Barack Obama prepared to sign into law a legislation barring financial institutions seeking bailout funds from hiring foreign H-1B visa workers, Government tonight said it is the beginning of an "irreversible protectionism" in the U.S.
"I think it is an indication of protectionism and interestingly it is an extremely bad decision...This is the beginning of what could be an irreversible slide into protectionism which happened in 1930," said Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia's comments lent weight to the concern voiced by parliamentarians-- Aruna Kumar Vundavalli and V Hanumantha Rao--who have written to External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee seeking his intervention. Indian software professionals account for bulk of the H-1B visas.

"The decision says that if you have a company that needs assistance it must not hire H-1B visa workers, which really means if you have company that is weak and you want to assist it you are going to deny it the opportunity to hire cheaper labour. To my mind it is economically irrational," Ahluwalia said.

The controversial provision relating to H-1B visas is contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act providing for the 789 billion dollar bailout package.

According to representations received by the MPs, thousands of H1-B visa holders are in danger of losing their jobs.

Currently, there are an estimated 650,000 Indian immigrants in the US working under the H1-B visa programme. Also, there are 100,000 Indian students who go to pursue higher studies and career under the same programme. PTI

"The decision says that if you have a company that needs assistance it must not hire H-1B visa workers, which really means if you have company that is weak and you want to assist it you are going to deny it the opportunity to hire CHEAPER LABOUR. To my mind it is economically irrational," Ahluwalia said."

So, in flush times, they said Americans weren't displaced because H1Bs are cheaper - it's because they are SMARTER. Now, in a bad economy, it's not that they're better, but they're CHEAPER. Glad to have confirmation on what was obvious all along. I can hardly believe he said it out loud - and was using it as evidence they deserve these jobs over Americans!

"Once they lose their jobs they are required to leave the country within 30 days otherwise they become out of status (illegal). This does not give sufficient time to sell their homes, pack up and leave the country, thus causing their families undue hardships," stated representative of Overseas Congress, New York, B R Prasad in his representation to MPs Aruna Kumar Vundavalli and V Hanumantha Rao.

If they are temporary workers, why are they buying houses in the first place? That tells me that they never intended to leave.

Originally Posted by tinybobidaho

If they are temporary workers, why are they buying houses in the first place? That tells me that they never intended to leave.

True. But for some of them using multiple identities and fraudulent documents also meant they could skip out on the mortgage "when it became due". There may be quite a few abandoned houses around the country with no owners forwarding address.

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but this seems to me to be proof that such visa's should be terminated for all time.