US president Donald Trump on Friday said major changes are coming to the H1-B visa programme of which Indian IT professional and Indian IT firms have been the single largest beneficiary.
Trump said that the new approach will bring both “simplicity and certainty” and lead to a more direct path to citizenship.
The H1-B visa allows US companies to hire foreign workers in some skilled occupations. The programme has been under scrutiny and mounting restrictions since Trump took office and unveiled his “Buy America, Hire America” vision to encourage local manufacturing and local employment.
“H1-B holders in the United States can rest assured that changes are soon coming which will bring both simplicity and certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship,” the president wrote on Twitter Friday.
“We want to encourage talented and highly skilled people to pursue career options in the US”.
Trump did not offer specifics on what changes he plans to make to the H1-B visa programme, and no timeline.