US Visa Laws, Including H‑1B, Don't Target India, Applied Globally: US Govt Official

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US government official has said that recent changes in the country’s policies with regard to immigration and visa laws, particularly the H1B visa, were not targeted towards India specifically. The US official said that these laws are being consistently applied globally.

US State Department Flags Inconsistent Visa Policy During Previous Govts

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, while responding to concerns related to immigration, visa policy, especially the H1B among Indians, said he blamed the previous administration for being consistent on visa law, adding that what they are trying to do was to remain consistent in their visa laws.Adding further, Tommy Pigott said, "There are no visa laws that target India. These are global visa laws that are being implemented with clarity, clear instructions that are being applied across the board.”He added that when it comes to visa policy in general, "we are of course going to work with other countries to allow people to enter the country that are needed for trade and investment, to work, and there are numerous examples of that happening with different bilateral partners across the world."

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"We also are clear, as in any country, that if you are going to create a job in the US, that we want to make sure that Americans have opportunities there, and every country has a similar mentality,” he said, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stressed that each country pursues its own national interests."Of course, we're going to facilitate and allow ways that people need to come in to facilitate investment, to train workers, and make sure that visa policies are in place to allow that to happen. We're applying the laws consistently across the board. There are no visa laws that target India specifically," he added further."We are going to make sure that when we have visa policies in place, that while we facilitate the entry of workers into the United States, we want to make sure, as any country would, that Americans in America, or name your country and their own citizens, have the opportunities of that investment as well,” the US official added.

Trump Administration Cracks Down on US Immigration Policy

In its second term in the White House, the Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on immigration, including putting and enforcing stringent requirements on immigrants coming into the country on work visas such as H1B, which are significantly used by technology, medical, and other professionals from India to work in America.There is also concern over increasing instances of hateful rhetoric targeted against immigrants, including Indians, due to the administration’s hardline immigration policies.With inputs from PTI