RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1207
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2021
SCRAPPING OF H1-B VISA LOTTERY SYSTEM IN THE US
1207. SHRI SANJAY RAUT:
Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:
(a) the manner in which the Ministry looks at scrapping of H1-B Visa lottery system in the US;
(b) whether any assessment has been made about its impact on Indian techies;
(c) whether the above new arrangement will come into force before the coming filing season starts in April;
(d) whether any consultations at the diplomatic and political level have been held for better predictability in Visa regime and to minimize inconvenience to Indian nationals in the US; and
(e) if so, the details of the outcome of such discussions?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]
(a) to (c) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a new regulation on 8 January 2021, to replace the current system of allocating H-1B visas through the H-1B visa lottery, with a wage-based selection process prioritizing higher salaries, with
effect from 9 March 2021. On 4 February 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a notice delaying the effective date of the new regulation from 9 March 2021 to 31 December 2021. The new rule will, therefore, not be in effect for the upcoming
filing season in April 2021.
(d) & (e) Yes, Sir. Government is closely engaged with the U.S. Administration and other relevant stakeholders on issues related to the movement of Indian professionals, highlighting the importance of people-to-people linkages and the contribution of Indian
skilled professionals to the growth and development of the U.S. economy, especially in the technology and innovation sector. We have emphasized that this has been a mutually-beneficial partnership which should be nurtured. These issues were also raised during
the India-U.S. Foreign Office Consultations held on 7 July 2020 and the 2+2 India-U.S. Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi on 27 October 2020.
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