Coronavirus outbreak: How Indians with H1-B visas are suffering from layoffs in the US

New Delhi, Apr 11: The deadly coronavirus outbreak across the world has become a major problem for Indian nationals working in the US. Fearing severe layoffs due to the COVID-19 crisis in the US, the Indian professionals on H1-B visa urged Trump's administration to extend their post-job loss limit to stay in the United States from the existing 60 to 180 days.

H1-B visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows the companies in the USA to employ foreign workers that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Several companies across the USA depend on these visas to offer jobs to thousands of people from countries like India and China. According to the existing federal rules, an H1-B visa holder is required to leave the United States, along with their family members within 60 days of losing their job.

Indian nationals, working with H1-B visa, who are presently unemployed or may be sacked from their jobs have only 60 days in their pocket to find a new job or head back to their home country. Due to the pandemic outbreak, several people have already been laid off.

With such situation in the forefront, India is in touch with the US government for extending the validity of the visa of Indian nationals (H1-B and other types of visa holders) due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Reacting to this issue, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "Time for the prime minister to ensure that our soft power of 'Namaste Trump' converts into fair treatment of H1-B visa holders in the US."

He also noted that the US has put Americans on a temporary paid leave or allowed them to work for reduced hours in the wake of the pandemic.