In a tough job market, H-1B renewal poses big challenge to Indian techies in US

As the next round of H-1B visa renewals comes up, Indian techies are pushing for a change in legislation in the US which will allow them to stay there longer, at a time when hiring by US-based companies has come to a near standstill.

For Amit Nagpal (name changed), life changed on February 27. He had been on an H-1B visa, working for retail chain Bed Bath & Beyond, when he got laid off. “Many others also lost their jobs,” he said.s

Nagpal is on the hunt for another job, but nobody is hiring amid the pandemic. “Even on the assumption that things improve by May, it would essentially mean that my H-1B visa will not be valid (then),” he said. According to US laws, H-1B workers have a 60-day grace period of unemployment time during which they can stay in the country legally.