BY DEVIKA C. MEHTA
LOS ANGELES, CA - Trump(ets) have blown in the ears of Indians since the arrival of the new US President on the global platform. Muffled voices have tried to garner an option, opinions have been raised, and analysis made, but in vain. The proposed H1B Visa bill is still in the infancy stage but an executive order from Donald Trump...
LOS ANGELES, CA - Trump(ets) have blown in the ears of Indians since the arrival of the new US President on the global platform. Muffled voices have tried to garner an option, opinions have been raised, and analysis made, but in vain. The proposed H1B Visa bill is still in the infancy stage but an executive order from Donald Trump...
could become an albatross around the necks of many Indians in the US and in India. Keeping up with news from the Oval office, Indian IT firms are already girding for possible changes to the H-1B program, especially after White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer commented on January 31- “Tighter restrictions on skilled worker visas to the U.S. could come via both executive action by President Donald Trump and via Congressional moves.”
So, yes there has been some hype, fears and common concerns among those who are likely to be widely affected by the visa reforms. Raj Sharma, an IT consultant working in a top notch firm in Los Angeles area fears that the new proposed bill will affect the Indian and US IT firms as companies will give priority to local hiring. The concerns have also been shared by students and spouses who are willing to work in the US after years of waiting and green card hassles.
Aman Dwivedi, a student planning to move to US, shares his troubles, “Any modifications in H1B visa rules will create a lot of trouble for students like me as I will need to find a job that pays high salaries of $ 130K or above. I was planning to move to US next year, now I have to wait and watch.” Another student and H4 holder, Neha Pande seems optimistic and adds, “Nothing has been formalized yet, but yes it's an insane order. I'm still studying, but it bothers me that I'll have to fight for an H1B now instead of being able to work on an H4 EAD ( Employment Authorization Document)”
Other working spouses, Jagdeep Kaur and Shagun Mahana, share similar worries. “For me it may affect my career”, says Shagun, who has passed from one of the top universities of Southern California and is now planning to work. Jagdeep also swallows hard, “I have waited for 3 long years to get my EAD, if the rules change again, it will be really difficult for me. How many times will I start afresh?” Surprisingly there are some Indians who are not scared of the move, calling it mere hype and gather that the talented will survive. Vishwas Raj who is working as a Design Engineer for a top semiconductor company in Arizona explains, “I personally don't feel threatened as I belong to a highly skilled workforce. The talented/dedicated Indians have always been able to come to America, and will continue to do so.” He even asks, “But, does America have enough qualified people of its own?”
Back in India, some professionals support Trump in `Making America Great Again’ without the cheap and indentured labor of India’s best and brightest’. Mayank Srivastava and Vikram Vashistha who are working in the Management industry (Operations) together figure out that India shouldn’t be lobbying the US or any other government, instead India needs to build and rebuild a greater plan by creating opportunities for its people at home.
On the other hand, Indians who regularly fly to and from the US call it another protectionist measure by Trump. Vaikunth Sharma, a Chartered Accountant (Senior Manager Corporate Finance) thinks that the move is a setup to overhaul US economy but will instantly disrupt trade relations and have an immediate negative impact on Indian IT industry and economy.
But will there be a real impact on the Indian economy? India’s renowned foreign policy and economic expert Dr Suvrokamal Dutta doesn’t think so. He says, “Impact on Indian economy would be insignificant or if at all there is an impact it would be very limited. US will not be in too much of an advantageous position to put heavy restrictions as it also cannot take such huge risk and create chaos in its economy.” However, MohanDas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education Services and Aarin Capital, does not seem to agree with the above thought and concludes, “There will be a deep impact over time though new technology could mitigate part of the impact. Yes, the Trump Administration has increased uncertainty but Indian IT will have to live through this.”
Meanwhile, putting the whole topic to rest, Indian- Americans like Parag Havaldar,a computer software engineer and the winner of the 2017 Technical Achievement Oscar, are hopeful. “The United States has always been a progressive society in all respects - embracing the variety of educated, talented people from foreign backgrounds for the purpose of creating a better society. A big part of this success has been the H1B program - the true intent of which has always been to attract bright minds from all over the world and give them a pathway to work and contribute to the economy. Going through this program has ultimately helped me decide whether or not to embrace this country completely and become a citizen. I have! I sincerely hope that any changes to the program do not affect its true intent of attracting talented individuals capable of innovating and changing this society, this country, and the whole world for the better.” In concept, the H-1B program is a good idea but how things play out remains to be seen by the action the Trump administration takes in future.
So, yes there has been some hype, fears and common concerns among those who are likely to be widely affected by the visa reforms. Raj Sharma, an IT consultant working in a top notch firm in Los Angeles area fears that the new proposed bill will affect the Indian and US IT firms as companies will give priority to local hiring. The concerns have also been shared by students and spouses who are willing to work in the US after years of waiting and green card hassles.
Aman Dwivedi, a student planning to move to US, shares his troubles, “Any modifications in H1B visa rules will create a lot of trouble for students like me as I will need to find a job that pays high salaries of $ 130K or above. I was planning to move to US next year, now I have to wait and watch.” Another student and H4 holder, Neha Pande seems optimistic and adds, “Nothing has been formalized yet, but yes it's an insane order. I'm still studying, but it bothers me that I'll have to fight for an H1B now instead of being able to work on an H4 EAD ( Employment Authorization Document)”
Other working spouses, Jagdeep Kaur and Shagun Mahana, share similar worries. “For me it may affect my career”, says Shagun, who has passed from one of the top universities of Southern California and is now planning to work. Jagdeep also swallows hard, “I have waited for 3 long years to get my EAD, if the rules change again, it will be really difficult for me. How many times will I start afresh?” Surprisingly there are some Indians who are not scared of the move, calling it mere hype and gather that the talented will survive. Vishwas Raj who is working as a Design Engineer for a top semiconductor company in Arizona explains, “I personally don't feel threatened as I belong to a highly skilled workforce. The talented/dedicated Indians have always been able to come to America, and will continue to do so.” He even asks, “But, does America have enough qualified people of its own?”
Back in India, some professionals support Trump in `Making America Great Again’ without the cheap and indentured labor of India’s best and brightest’. Mayank Srivastava and Vikram Vashistha who are working in the Management industry (Operations) together figure out that India shouldn’t be lobbying the US or any other government, instead India needs to build and rebuild a greater plan by creating opportunities for its people at home.
On the other hand, Indians who regularly fly to and from the US call it another protectionist measure by Trump. Vaikunth Sharma, a Chartered Accountant (Senior Manager Corporate Finance) thinks that the move is a setup to overhaul US economy but will instantly disrupt trade relations and have an immediate negative impact on Indian IT industry and economy.
But will there be a real impact on the Indian economy? India’s renowned foreign policy and economic expert Dr Suvrokamal Dutta doesn’t think so. He says, “Impact on Indian economy would be insignificant or if at all there is an impact it would be very limited. US will not be in too much of an advantageous position to put heavy restrictions as it also cannot take such huge risk and create chaos in its economy.” However, MohanDas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education Services and Aarin Capital, does not seem to agree with the above thought and concludes, “There will be a deep impact over time though new technology could mitigate part of the impact. Yes, the Trump Administration has increased uncertainty but Indian IT will have to live through this.”
Meanwhile, putting the whole topic to rest, Indian- Americans like Parag Havaldar,a computer software engineer and the winner of the 2017 Technical Achievement Oscar, are hopeful. “The United States has always been a progressive society in all respects - embracing the variety of educated, talented people from foreign backgrounds for the purpose of creating a better society. A big part of this success has been the H1B program - the true intent of which has always been to attract bright minds from all over the world and give them a pathway to work and contribute to the economy. Going through this program has ultimately helped me decide whether or not to embrace this country completely and become a citizen. I have! I sincerely hope that any changes to the program do not affect its true intent of attracting talented individuals capable of innovating and changing this society, this country, and the whole world for the better.” In concept, the H-1B program is a good idea but how things play out remains to be seen by the action the Trump administration takes in future.
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