Explain use of H-1B visas; US to IT giants

Washington, May15: Two US lawmakers have asked nine foreign-based firms, including some leading Indian companies that used 20,000 H-1B visas to disclose details about their workforce and their use of the special programme. This is being abused as it displaces qualified American workers.

The US Senate gets ready to take up the comprehensive immigration reform legislation, while the two top law makers Republican Senator Charles Grassley and Democratic Senator Richard Durbin said "more and more it appears that companies are using H-1B visas to displace qualified, American workers."

"As we move closer to debate on an immigration bill, I continue to hear how people want to increase the number of H-1B visas that are available to companies. Considering the high amount of fraud and abuse in the visa programme, we need to take a good, hard look at the employers who are using H-1B visas and how they are using them," Grassley said in a statement.

"Supporters claim the goal of the H-1B programme is to help the American economy by allowing companies to hire needed foreign workers. The reality is that too many H-1B visas are being used to facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs to other countries," Senator Durbin said.

The senators sent letters to Infosys Technologies, Wipro Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Patni Computer Systems, I-Flex Solutions Inc., Satyam Computer Services Ltd., Larsen&Toubro Infotech Ltd., Tech Mahindra Americas Inc. and Mphasis Corp.

"We have to look at the system that generates these visas and the way they are used. This legislation will help protect American workers first by stopping H-1Bs from being exploited and used as outsourcing visas," Durbin said.

He expects the companies to cooperate and answer his questions to ensure accurate information is being used as Congress begins debate on new immigration policy.

Launched in 1990, the H-1B visa programme allows foreign scientists, engineers and technologists to be employed for upto six years in the US, at the end of which they must obtain permanent residency or return home.

"The American people are concerned about such lay offs at a time when the demand for visa issuances and the recruitment of foreign workers appear to be increasing," said the senators who have asked the companies some questions on numbers, wages, outsourcing and layoffs with a requested reply date of May 29, 2007.

OneIndia News
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