H-1B visa a political challenge for victor

NEW DELHI : The H-1B visa rules following the outcome of the US presidential elections will determine the future course of action for skilled professionals seeking to work in the US. The Donald Trump administration’s efforts to tighten the visa guidelines had intensified in recent months, especially after the pandemic-induced job losses affected over 40 million Americans.

But, while Trump’s anti-immigrant stand is well-documented with his desire to keep “American jobs for American workers”, will H-1B visa norms be relaxed with a change in the regime?

US-based law firms said it was usually easier to introduce restrictions on immigrants than relax controls, and even a new president will be hard-pressed to be more generous to the H-1B programme, especially amid the pandemic that has left the American economy battered.