Change of policy stance with respect to H-1B visa in the offing

The US President, Donald Trump has a realisation now and it is that the US doesn’t have all kinds of talent and the country needs to allow migration of high-value talent to the country.

In an interview, Trump alluded that the United States doesn’t have talented workers to fill jobs needed domestically. In a significant departure from his earlier stand, Trump for the first time has defended the H-1B visa programme, which has been designed for facilitating immigration of top talent to the US.

Replying to a statement by the host of a private TV channel that the US has a lot of talent, Trump said: “No, you don’t, no you don’t … you don’t have certain talents, and people have to learn. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory where we’re going to make missiles.”

Trump cited the example of anti-immigration raids of Hyundai’s Georgia facility and asserted that he was opposed to such raids because the US needs those kinds of talent.

Such departure from the earlier stance of opposing H-1B visa shows significant realisation on the part of the US administration that global talent enriches the world’s largest economy than weakening it through stealing jobs from locals.

The MAGA base of Trump is highly critical of H-1B visa immigration as they see it as a channel for allowing low-cost labour into the country. That is the reason that the Indian technology professionals are facing a lot of heat in the US as of now.

This is despite the fact that the largest US corporations are being successfully led by Indian professionals. Vitriolic comments are being spread through social media with an active participation of MAGA base.

Indian technology professionals are being accused of nepotism, manipulation and exploitation. Everyone knows that these allegations are far from the truth.

Despite low Indian presence, Indian technology professionals have climbed the corporate ladder through their merit. In this process, Indian community is contributing significantly to the US economy. Indians have high per capita income in the US with sound contribution to tax revenue of the US.

Moreover, Indians are considered one of the most law abiding citizens in the US. Perhaps, these factors have become an eyesore for many in the US. That is the reason that the MAGA base is cooking up many stories to put Indian community in bad light.

However, Trump’s assertion that the US needs talent and they have to bring people under immigration programme, indicates that good sense is dawning on the US administration of late. Though the flow of talent from India may reduce significantly, H-1B as a programme will continue in the future.

This is a good sign because technology world needs free flow of talent and both India& US will immensely benefit if such collaboration continues. Protectionism in the services sector always has a negative impact on innovation.

In the current AI era, such policies will backfire and put the protectionist country in a disadvantageous position.