H1B Visa Holders Face Uncertain Future in US, Over 200,000 Fear Losing Legal Status by June 2020 Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
The month-long shutdown, combined with the continuing restrictions in several other parts of the nation, has hurt the employment of several beneficiaries of the H1B programme. Already a month of being forced into unemployment, the rules in place will prohibit their stay in the US from June onwards.
Washington, April 29: Over 200,000 H1B visa holders in the United States stare at an uncertain future due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. With economy grounded, lockdowns imposed and several establishments closing down, the foreign workers in the US have been hit by a wave of unemployment. If they remain out of jobs for two months, the norms of Homeland Security Department mandate their eviction from the US. India Requests US to Extend H1B, Other Visas of Indian Nationals.
The month-long shutdown, combined with the continuing restrictions in several other parts of the nation, has hurt the employment of several beneficiaries of the H1B programme. Already a month of being forced into unemployment, the rules in place will prohibit their stay in the US from June onwards.
Doug Rand, who worked on technology and immigration policy in the Obama administration, condemned the Donald Trump regime for not announcing any amendments to the H1B programme so far, in view of the pandemic.
If the norms are not changed, the migrants may no longer be allowed to stay in the US, while their home nations would also not accept their deportations due to COVID-19 pandemic, Rand said. This would result into a a "catastrophe at a human level and an economic level", he added. H1B Visa Holders Seek Extension By Donald Trump Admin In US from 60 Days to 6 Months Amid Job Loss Due to COVID-19.
The concern was also reflected in the letter sent to the Homeland Security Department on April 17 by TechNet - a lobbying body comprising of top officials from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. The group appealed the Trump administration to relax the H1B visa rules considering the lack of job opportunities due to the virus outbreak.
The termination of H1B visas should be stayed till at least April 10, their letter read. "Without action, these issues will lead to hundreds of thousands of unfilled jobs and have profound negative economic effects," it further added.
President Trump is yet to react to the letter sent by TechNet. A spokesperson of the Citizenship and Immigration Services, on being asked on the issue, declined to comment whether the H1B visas' validity would be extended. The official, however, stated that considerations could be made in scenarios where circumstances were beyond human control.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2020 02:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).