Jayapal said limiting the H-1B visa program would hurt the US economy. She also stressed for a smooth transition from H-1B to immigration for those who choose to stay back.
Indian American Rep. Pramila Jayapal said that against the backdrop of Trump administration’s negative view of the immigrants, people could expect some more unfavorable news, The Hindu reported on Sunday.
“But I also don’t think we will see a positive change to the program in that near term. I do think we will see, potentially, some negative administrative actions, we already have seen a few, there might be some more,” Jayapal said.
She said that although H-1B program needs to plug holes for visa frauds but restricting skilled foreign workers would be detrimental to the US economy. “The problem is there are some changes needed for the H-1Bs to prevent fraud and to make sure we are protecting the US workers,” she said. “But for the most part, H-1B visas have been very good for the US and for the countries that are getting those visas, for workers who are coming.”
Jayapal said that many companies in the US are contemplating to shift to Canada due to unfavorable work environ in the US.
She also stressed on the transition from work to immigration visa status for those who intend to stay back. “ The other issue with H-1B is how quickly you could transition to permanent residency, that is not all of the H-1Bs but a small portion of people who come to the US on H-1B and decide to stay,” she said. “We need to have a system that allows for all of these different needs of the economy and our communities but at the same time, we do need to make sure it makes sense for American workers as well.”
Jayapal said that the bilateral relationship between the US and India were stronger during former President Barack Obama’s tenure. The Trump administration is still grappling with some key issues and indecisive about the course its relations with India would take, she said.