New Delhi, June 21: A day after reports claimed that the Donald Trump regime is considering to imposed country-wise caps on H1B visas, in an alleged bid to target nations like India which are the biggest beneficiary of the programme, a statement was issued by the United States officially denying such speculations.

"The U.S. has no plans to place caps on H-1B work visas for nations that force foreign companies to store data locally," a statement by the US State Department said. US Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Protect H4 Work Visa Of Spouses Of H1B Holders

The statement came in backdrop of media reports which claimed that the government has proposed an annual quota for Indian companies to be around 10 to 15 per cent.

The statement cleared that Trump administration's "Buy American Hire America" Executive order is not targeted at any specific country, and is completely separate from Washington's ongoing discussions with New Delhi regarding the importance of ensuring the free flow of data across borders.

"The Trump Administration's Buy American Hire American Executive Order called for a broad review of U.S. worker visa programs, including the H-1B program. This review is not targeted at a specific country and is completely separate from our ongoing discussions with India about the importance of ensuring the free flow of data across borders," the statement read.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently reduced the mandated number of H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2019. As per a release on the USCIS website, H1B visas have a cap of 65,000 for the general category and allow a further 20,000 people who have a US master's degree from an accredited institution.

H-1B, considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

(With ANI inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2019 11:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).