Round The World

New Delhi, 3 March 2017

US Immigration Policy

BLESSING IN DISGUISE?

By Dr S Saraswathi

(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)

Along with the killing of a young Indian IT professional from Andhra Pradesh in Kansas, US, comes another report of a populist call from American President Donald Trump. He proposes to start a new political era of action concerning the immigration policy. The two are unconnected independent events,  but in the context in which the call was given raises inexplicable fears and anxiety in the minds of Indian immigrants, their families and friends about their personal and job security in the new world.

The prospects of facing racial hatred and prejudices and occupational jealousy and discriminations in the country where they are no longer wanted seem to haunt them day and night. “America for Americans” – the thunderous slogan that echoed in Washington DC when Trump took his oath of office in January created a momentary shock wave in India and some other countries, but brushed aside as rhetoric typical of a regime change. Action was not expected to follow so soon. True. Americans mean business.

The primary and immediate target of recent immigration restriction policy in the US is to throw out “gang members, drug dealers, and bad people”. The objective is to insulate the US from terror threats and terrorists. An executive order was issued in January blocking entry of people for three months from seven Muslim-majority nations – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya - into the US. He cited the plight of Sweden, Germany, and France where liberal immigration has resulted in crimes including terror attacks. Undocumented immigrants in US numbering about 11 million from various countries are facing the risk of deportation. The executive order was blocked in a court and a legal battle ensued.

This travel ban does not affect India. But its implementation raises fears of harsh and hasty action and hate campaigns. For, it is followed by introduction of legislation in the Congress to restrict the number of H-1B visa holders in the country by hiking their minimum salary requirement from the present $60,000 to $130,000. This type of visa – non-immigrant visa – allows US firms to employ foreign workers in specialised occupations that require theoretical and technical expertise in specific fields. The proposed enormous pay hike is a move that directly affects lakhs of Indian professionals migrating to the US - the land of opportunities - to build their career.

Preponderant majority of IT professionals from Indian companies engaged in projects and working in the US are receiving annual salaries ranging between $60,000 and $70,000.  According to latest estimates, the Indian IT industry has at least 350,000 workers on this visa. 

The comprehensive scheme propounded in the order includes terminating employment authorisation cards to spouses of those on work visas and stopping extension of duration of optional training visas to students after completion of their studies.

Indian IT companies depend on H-1B visas to take their own Indian employees to the US on projects whose salaries considered high in India are much below that of their American counterparts. Several American companies also, particularly in the information technology, have for years been employing Indian professionals for their expertise and as economy measure.

The choice before these companies is between doubling their salaries and hiring local Americans. It is a blow to Indian companies as well as to aspiring young men and women dreaming to build their career in the US and equally to American firms preferring to employ Indians for their efficiency and save on salary bills. Indians are said to be the main target of attack as they constitute the largest segment of foreign employees in the US accounting for about 60 per cent of H-1B visa holders.

There is also a legislative move in the Senate to reduce the number of Green Cards issued every year from one million to half a million. This will upset those seeking permanent residence in the US and American citizenship.  Further, American companies who are said to be planning to shift their base abroad to escape salary regulations are warned of “consequences” and imposition of harder rules for such emigration. Tax reforms are also being worked out to reduce taxes for American workers and businesses.

The US had always been a melting pot with a weak immigration policy. Its history is like that ever since its “discovery” to the western world. Though illegal immigrants could be punished and deported, law was not strictly enforced.

The new US immigration policy has two objectives – one, to drive out illegal immigrants among whom radical elements are suspected to be hidden and make America safe for Americans; and another, to address growing  unemployment among American  nationals.

Indo-US relations surrounding this issue mainly relates to employment situation in both countries. “I mean good jobs, more jobs, better jobs, and higher paying jobs, that’s our mission”, said Trump. This populist approach promised in the election campaigns of the Republican Party, is not a purely domestic policy matter.

It involves international relations and has to be consistent with globalisation engulfing all spheres of life and interests. An American job is not merely the dream of Indian youth. It has the other side of Indian skill and industry needed by American entrepreneurs. Tech giants are naturally eager to work out ways to ensure continuance of their team unaffected by visa restrictions in America’s own economic and developmental interests. India’s march in IT growth is under severe pressure while US companies will face cost escalation and shortage of qualified manpower.

The US, the undeclared master of globalisation, is often seen to flout its norms whenever these clashed with its national interests. Protectionism is antithetical to globalisation whether it is in trade or employment. Visa restrictions are blatantly aimed at protecting American labour and shutting doors for foreign labour. If they enter the statute books, economic, social and humanitarian considerations will be out of question.

India has to learn a lot to protect its national interests while professing globalization. A policy of retaliation can do no good, but we have to listen to local voices against the tough dictates of globalisation. Local protests against foreign direct investment, for instance, deserve better hearing in order to ensure legitimate protection for local trade and indigenous products. 

In the present juncture, we have to think of the positive side of the return of high qualified Indian professionals from the US. In fact, the exodus of engineers and doctors to foreign lands has reached such huge proportions as to make us question the public good, economic progress and ethics in this mad rush. Are we running world class institutions to prepare youngsters to serve a foreign country and personally prosper in the process?

US immigration restrictions may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. India presently needs massive technical manpower for developing smart cities and cashless transactions. Digital India project - an umbrella programme to transform the country into knowledge economy ensuring access to every citizen to technological infrastructure - can provide immense job opportunities.

Hopefully, the return migrants need not feel depressed, but can get absorbed in the new wave of start-up IT companies and develop innovative products and services and also derive the satisfaction of serving the country better. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)