New Delhi, June 21 : The US State Department on Friday said that it has no plans to cap H-1B visas for countries that force foreign companies to store data locally. In response to the Reuters article, a State Department spokeswoman said, “The Trump Administration has no plans to place caps on H-1B work visas for nations that force foreign companies to store data locally.”
The spokeswoman also cleared that this was not targeted at a specific country even when administration’s “Buy American Hire American” executive order calls for a broad review of U.S. worker visa programmes, including the H-1B. The spokeswoman also said that it is “completely separate from our ongoing discussions with India about the importance of ensuring the free flow of data across borders,” Reuters notes.
Last week reports said that the Trump administration’s decision to rescind work authorisation for H-4 visa holders is yet to get a final shape as the rulemaking process in this regard is not complete, PTI reported. H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “continues reviewing” all employment-based visa programmes, including the H-4 EADs or employment authorisation card, an official told.
