Connecting over 25 millions NRIs worldwide
Most trusted Name in the NRI media
NRI PEOPLE- OUR NETWORK
 

 

India highest recipient of H-1B
But U.S. lawmakers also propose restrictions on H-1B, L1 in future
Millions of dollars are spent for lobbying politicians on immigration policy
U.S. Citizens blame Indian Companies and US Lawmakers

  • Indian citizens receive almost 70 percent of all the H-1B visas issued worldwide. US issued more than a million visas
  • The US doubled the visa fees to $4,000 for H-1B and to $4,500 for L-1 but Indian Applicants never drop.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2016
NRIpress.club/Gary Singh Grewal/Dr.Satinder Verma

US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs said, "Indian job seekers receive almost 70 percent of all the H-1B visas issued worldwide."

Last month, in July, 2016, U.S. lawmakers proposed restrictions on H-1B, L1 Bill: New bill proposes to bar companies that have over 50 employees and fifty percent of them on H1-B, L1 visas, from hiring more and encourage recruitment of American workers. If this New Bill passed:

  • It will encourage companies to recruit American workers.
  • The wage requirements for H-1B visa-holders and establishment of wage requirements for L1 workers
  • It will also provide more authority to the Departments of Homeland Security and Labour to investigate fraud and abuse in the H-1B and L-1 programs

The lawmakers bill concerns that critics of the H-1B, L1 visas have been raising for years that companies are using the programmes to undercut American workers  and replacing American workers.

"Around 90% work done by H1B employers is really not specialist work such as  work for large IT departments for US banks, insurance companies, telecom operators," said John Lis whi is running IT Company in Los Angeles. " The educated U.S. workers were being pushed out of jobs through immigrations programs like H-1B and L1." President Obama signed Omnibus Bill on December 18th, 2015 that increases the H1B and L1 Fee by $4000 and $4500.

Donald Trump who is running for President, has brought some light to the abuse of immigration “guest worker” programs, most Americas still aren’t aware of the issue and few know about the Indian companies profiting behind the scenes.

Couple Indicted for $20 Million Visa Fraud Involving Indian Workers
Kosuri and Jharia face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, if convicted.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Raju Kosuri, 44, and Smriti Jharia, 45, of Ashburn, as well as four co-conspirators, were indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and visa fraud, among other charges.

According to the indictment, Kosuri, his spouse Jharia, and their co-conspirators have fraudulently applied for more than 800 illegal immigration benefits under the H-1B visa program.  Since 2008, and at much greater scale since 2011, Kosuri has built a staffing business that amounts to a visa-for-sale system, in violation of federal law. 

The indictment alleges that Kosuri has set up a network of shell companies that he presents to immigration authorities as independent businesses in need of Indian workers, but which he in fact owns and controls.  The indictment further alleges that Kosuri and his co-conspirators use these entities to file petitions for non-existent job vacancies at Kosuri’s data center in Danville.  Kosuri is alleged to require workers to pay their own visa processing fees, in violation of H-1B program rules; and he is alleged to treat the beneficiaries as hourly contractors, again in violation of H-1B visa program rules.  The visa fraud scheme involves the forgery of numerous individuals’ signatures on visa petitions and exhibits without their knowledge.  The indictment alleges that Kosuri has generated gross proceeds of at least $20 million over the life of the scheme.
Separately, the indictment alleges that Kosuri and Jharia conspired with a consultant named Raimondo Piluso to defraud the Small Business Administration, by submitting fraudulent HUBZone applications.  Kosuri, Jharia, and Piluso are alleged to have concealed the true location, ownership, and employees of a business called EcomNets Federal Solutions in order to obtain federal loan and contract preferences, from which they have generated $150,000 in loan proceeds and five contract awards.  
Kosuri, Jharia, and Piluso face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, if convicted.  The other co-conspirators face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if convicted.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors........ Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

Millions of dollars are spent for lobbying politicians on immigration policy:

Cognizant, Wipro, Infosys, and Tata all profit by supplying foreign workers to American companies via the H-1B visa program and almost all the workers are Indian. Wipro, Tata,and Infosys are Indian companies and even though Cognizant is in New Jersey, over half their workers are Indian and 64% of all H-1B Visas go to Indians. Cognizant alone spends millions of dollars lobbying politicians on immigration policy; nearly $3,000,000 in the last two years .............READ MORE

- - - - - - - - -

India got 72 per cent H1B visas this year, says US official

Hyderabad, Aug 26, 2016: The US issued more than a million visas this year in India which also accounts for 72 percent of all H1B visas issued worldwide, said a top US official on Friday.

While vast majority of travelers to the US are traveling on tourist and short term business visas, India is also the largest beneficiary of H1B visas.

"Beyond tourism and short term business travelers, the US welcome travel by skilled Indian workers. India is the largest beneficiary by far of H1B visas vis-A-vis skilled workers visas.

"So far just in this year, Indian workers received 72 percent of all the H1B visas the US issued worldwide. Similarly Indian workers received 30 percent of all L visas also long term business travel visas that we have issued worldwide," said Michele Bond, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.

She said while there is no limit for issuing tourist visas, it was for the US Congress to take a decision on increasing HIB and L1 visas for India.

"I can't predict whether that is likely to happen. It's pretty obvious that there is more demand for those visas. We will see what decision is taken about whether and when that cap might be increased," she told reporters here.

The US issues 138,000 H1B visas per year worldwide and on an average Indians get 70 percent of these visas. This year Indians have already received about 72 percent.

The highest ranking US official on consular issues said they understand Indian companies' concern about higher fee for H1B and L1 visas. She, however, clarified that the fee hike is not targeted at India.

"That hike was result of legislation that was passed. The level of interest in visas has not changed because of this. We hope to continue to see very strong interest in applying for business visas and working in US," she added.

Stating that the commercial, economic and social ties between the two countries had strengthened, Bond pointed out that the number of business and tourist visas issues in India had gone up by 81 percent in five years.

Last year, the US mission in India issued 60,000 student visas. The US consulate general in Hyderabad issued the largest number of student visas in India, more than any of the consulates and the embassy.

"This consulate general in Hyderabad issues fifth largest number of student visas in the world. It is at fifth position among more than 200 embassies and consulates around the world. We are really proud of our team in Hyderabad and the role they are playing in strengthening the bonds between two countries," she said.

Bond noted that the number of Indian students in the US increased to more than 132,000 last year. Indian students comprise second largest international student population in the US.

She said the work on the new consulate building in Hyderabad will begin next year and it is scheduled to be completed in 2020. The new facility will have 52 interview windows against 16 at its existing location.


India highest recipient of H-1B visas: US official 


New Delhi, Aug 23, 2016: Despite a hefty hike in fees of US H-1B and L-1 visas, there has been no drop in number of applications from India and the country continues to be the highest recipient of H-1B visas, the highest US official in Washington dealing with international visa issues said here on Tuesday.

“Indian citizens receive almost 70 percent of all the H-1B visas issued worldwide,” Michele Bond, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, said during a media interaction here.

“Overwhelmingly, Indian applicants are the ones who are successful in qualifying for these visas,” she said.

As for L-1 visas, she said that Indian citizens received around 30 percent of all such visas issued.

The US doubled the visa fees to $4,000 for H-1B and to $4,500 for L-1 at the end of last year.

Indian IT bellwethers have most of their employees working on site holding H-1B visas.

Bond said that in US fiscal year 2015 (October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015), more than 110,000 H-1B visas were issued to Indian citizens.

“This is a priority for us because we are part of a bilateral India and US effort to grow their economic and commercial ties,” she said.

Asked if there has been any move to revisit the issue of hike in visa fees, she said: “These specific visas where the fees changed -- the H and L visas -- we have seen no drop in the number of applications for those visas, no lessening of interest in obtaining those visas. It was a legislative change, so we were implementing that law.”

Bond came to India to attend the annual bilateral consular dialogue that was held here on Monday during which issues like facilitating tourism and business and other travel between the two countries, visa assessing, protection of US citizens in India, transparent international adoption, and preventing international parental child abduction cases were discussed.

While she led the US delegation, P. Kumaran, Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa) in the Ministry of External Affairs, headed the Indian side.  ....IANS/NRIpress.com