Washington: US lawmakers have appealed to President Donald Trump to reconsider his order regarding H1-B visas, which includes a hefty fee of US$100,000. The lawmakers said that Indian citizens are central to America’s leadership in information technology and artificial intelligence, and such restrictive policies would negatively impact relations between the US and India.
US House of Representatives member Jimmy Panetta, along with Congress members Ami Bera, Salud Carbajal and Julie Johnson, wrote to Donald Trump on Thursday, expressing concern over Trump’s announcement regarding the H1-B visa program, which, among other restrictions, imposes a fee of USD 100,000 on new applications.
“As members of the delegation that recently visited India, we understand the importance of the H-1B program not only to the US economy, national security, and competitive advantage, but also to the relationship between Indian-American communities,” they said. “We respectfully request that you postpone the September 19 announcement and reconsider any policies that undermine fair access to the H-1B program,” the lawmakers said in the letter.
They said that at a time when China is aggressively investing in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, the US must continue to attract the world’s best talent to sustain its innovation ecosystem, strengthen its defense industrial base, and maintain its long-term competitive advantage.
“In the case of India, which was the country of origin for 71 percent of H-1B holders last year, attracting this talent also strengthens our strategic partnership with a key democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific region,” they said.
