Boost to Indian IT companies: Obama promises to ease L-1B work visa

US President Barack Obama has assured to make it easier for foreign companies to bring their
into the industry through the L-1B work visa category, a move that could benefit thousands of Indian IT professionals planning to work in that country.

The announcement seems to be a strategic move by the president as it will not only benefit the American economy, but also will attract colossal investments.

Addressing the Select USA Summit on March 23, the president said, “I’m pleased to announce a new action to make it easier for global companies who are present here today to launch and invest in the US. My administration is going to reform the L-1B visa category, which allows corporations to temporarily move workers from a foreign office to a US office in a faster, simpler way.”

The announcement came after Indian companies voiced their disappointment that L-1B visa requests from India were being rejected, and the rejection rate was as high as 56 percent, more than four time of the average of 13 percent, and nearly double than that of China and Mexico. Indian applicants were also advised that that they needed to provide more data and proofs which were higher than any other countries.

Mr Obama stressed that the reform was aimed at attracting foreign investments in the USA, rather than just allowing the foreign companies to misuse the L-1B visa.

“Over the past six years, we’ve worked hard to make ourselves a smarter place to invest and to do business than any other country in the world. And that’s one reason I created SelectUSA, the first-ever government-wide initiative to encourage more companies from around the world to invest and create jobs right here in the US,” Obama said, explaining that SelectUSA was a “kind of one-stop destination.

“Obama recognises the fact that global talent is required in the world’s largest economy. We will first need to look at the guidance, which should come out in the next few days, to see what it has in store for the IT industry,” said Shivendra Singh, vice-president of the Global Trade Development, Nasscom.

Several Indian companies had been waiting for some action to be taken in this regard as easing of L-1B visa will lift the spirits of the $146-billion Indian IT industry.

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