NASSCOM Concerned Over Curbs Proposed In US Immigration Bill


Chennai: Software services industry body NASSCOM raised concerns over proposed discriminatory restrictions in the draft US Immigration Bill.

"Surely, we have got huge concerns on the restrictions that are being proposed in the Senate Bill. There is discrimination because it is based on visa dependent companies versus non-visa dependent companies." NASSCOM President Som Mittal told reporters.

He said "it puts restrictions on our ability to service our customers and prevents our ability to have a level-playing competition in the US".

Mittal said the restrictions would have a major impact on US corporations served by Indian IT companies, because of which the first impact would be on the US economy and customers there. "So, it is the US corporations who are actually batting for us," said Mittal.

Officially called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, 2013, the Bill being pushed by the Obama administration gives the domestic IT professionals in the US a 60-day period to find a new job after they lose the existing one, among several other sweeping reforms.

Out of the $108 billion software exports from the country, as much as $46 billion comes from the US alone and most of the domestic IT companies. These companies will also have to shell out more fees to get H-1B visas, if the draft legislation is cleared by the Congress and is signed into law by Obama.

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Source: PTI