Will end H-1B visa programme if elected: Ramaswamy

Describing the H-1B visa programme as a form of “indentured servitude”, Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has vowed to gut the lottery-based system and replace it with meritocratic admission if he wins the race to the White House in 2024.

The H-1B visa, much sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Ramaswamy himself has used the H-1B visa programme 29 times.