New reforms to reduce H1B and L1 visas?

The immigration reform, which is being discussed vigorously by US lawmakers in Washington DC and across the nation, might shower more benefits on US giants and force Indian IT companies to reduce their H1B and L1 employees sooner or later

While America's border security agents put their lives and energies at stake during spine-chilling operations in line of duty to prevent marijuana smuggling from across the long boundary lines of the United States, the Centennial State of Colorado in America has passed the first-of-its-kind legislation last week to allow the legal sales of a banned substance drug, marijuana, so as to generate more tax revenues for its exchequer. As Governor John Hickenlooper is slated to sign the bill at the earliest, Colorado is all set to become the world's first legal and regulated marijuana market for adults.

You may not find a better and exemplifying case than this to illuminate the fact that the United States economy has always been driven primarily by its own priorities and concerns and it can make new laws or amend the existing acts to adjust to its domestic requirements or realities, as and when needed.

For those who were upset that the proposed immigration reforms in America could bring in a "death sentence" to Indian IT companies, the Colorado's marijuana law could be a good case to note in this direction. A If it becomes a reality, the immigration reform which is being discussed vigorously by US lawmakers as of now in Washington DC and across the nation as well might shower more benefits on US giants and force Indian IT companies to reduce their H1B and L1 employees sooner or later.

The bill, which has naturally garnered strong support from US IT leaders, majorly focuses on restricting the use of H-1Bs by foreign companies who bring in skilled workers to America for a certain period of time and then take them back to home country after they have advanced their knowledge and expertise while working for US companies in the US.

These "trained-in-USA" professionals would eventually work with competitors of US companies upon their return to home country and the whole thing is certainly bothering the domestic IT sector in America. The lawmakers mulling over hundreds of proposed amendments to the bill have for sure noticed, without any ambiguity, the major concerns of US companies with regard to H1B visas for highly skilled (temporary) foreign workers.

However, foreign IT professionals are jubilant that the immigration reform bill would increase the annual global H1B quota from 65,000 to 115,000. Also, it's a welcome feature that the proposed bill would provide 60 days time for those on H1Bs in America to search for a new job, in the event if they were fired by their employer. The 60 day grace period would mean a lot for temporary foreign workers as their employers cannot kick them out of the country with just one stroke of retrenchment or removal from job duties. It gives an opportunity for the highly skilled category workers to remain in the US, legally, for two more months (though without a job) to look for new opportunities.

As you are aware, the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) has recently completed the process of H1B selections for the fiscal year 2014. The USG agency which received about 124,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period followed a computer-based "lottery" procedure on April 07, 2013 to select the required number of petitions.

(More on H1B programme next week)