New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Indian IT industry’s apex body Nasscom on Thursday said the number of employees transitioning from H-1B visas to permanent residency through the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process is relatively limited, and the Indian technology companies will continue to adhere to applicable regulations in the US.
The reaction came after the US administration suspended major outsourcing companies, including India’s Infosys, Tata, Wipro and HCL, from the permanent labour certification programme. Cognizant and Capgemini were also included in the action.
Nasscom said that while the decision affects a specific immigration pathway, it has consistently maintained that immigration and skilled talent mobility are two distinct issues and should not be viewed through the same lens.
“The H-1B visa programme has historically played an important role in addressing short-term skill gaps in the U.S. and it will continue to be used to address short term talent gap. However, over the past few years, Indian technology companies have significantly reduced their dependence on H-1B visas, while steadily expanding local hiring and building a strong domestic workforce in the US,” said the IT industry body.
They work with majority of the US fortune 500 companies, enable them to innovate and grow, and generate more local jobs.
“Consequently, the number of employees transitioning from H-1B visas to permanent residency through the PERM process is also relatively limited. Indian technology companies operate across more than 80 countries and have consistently demonstrated their commitment to complying with local laws and regulatory requirements. We are confident that they will continue to adhere to applicable regulations in the U.S. as well,” according to Nasscom.
US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of the six outsourcing companies following investigations by the Department of Labor’s Inspector General. The action stops the acceptance of new permanent labour certification applications involving the companies and processing of pending applications.
—IANS
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