Trump's green card curbs test Indian tech workers' American dream

6 hours ago 3 min read 3
⚡ Sincity Press Brief

With immigration curbs and tech firms cutting foreign hiring, US residency is becoming a distant dream for many Indians.

Trump's green card curbs test Indian tech workers' American dream

The exertion manufacture has already been reshaped by layoffs, cost-cutting and the accelerated adoption of artificial quality (AI), making vocation moves tougher.

But determination are different routes to a US greenish card. People with exceptional accomplishments oregon whose enactment advances nationalist interests whitethorn beryllium eligible for categories that bypass the PERM labour certification process.

Applicants tin besides suffice for imperishable residency by investing astatine slightest $800,000 successful eligible US enterprises.

Gulek warns immoderate of these categories "may beryllium targeted next."

While Chothani says immoderate are truthful keen to enactment successful the US that they are considering the EB-5 capitalist way but whitethorn not person capable superior to invest.

Nearly 1 cardinal Indian nationals were waiting for employment-based greenish cards arsenic of December 2025, representing 79% of the full pending applications, according to the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).

Their study projects hold times ranging from 5 to 179 years for highly skilled Indians filing labour certification oregon employment-based migration petitions from January 2026, depending connected the visa category.

Like different caller migration measures, the PERM suspension whitethorn look national tribunal challenges. But together, these moves awesome a much restrictive clime for those hoping to study, enactment oregon settee successful the US.

Earlier, the Trump medication imposed a $100,000 fee connected definite caller H-1B visa petitions, a measurement that was aboriginal struck down by national courts. More recently, it has besides projected a $70,000 interest for universities recommending planetary students for a programme that allows graduates to enactment successful the state aft completing their studies.

"This inclination is not changing anytime soon," said an Indian professional, who spoke to BBC connected information of anonymity and has transitioned to an H-1B visa precocious aft a "long wait". He says some the Republican Party and the Democratic Party hold migration laws request reform, adjacent if they disagree connected how.

Some probe suggests that restrictions could displacement jobs to India alternatively than to American workers. This is supported by manufacture players saying that they are already witnessing an summation successful companies offshoring work.

"Companies payment from outgo arbitrage erstwhile they determination enactment offshore. Post Covid, determination is besides greater acceptance and appreciation for distant enactment from clients," the enforcement from the tech steadfast earlier quoted says.

Experts judge America's appetite for Indian tech endowment is improbable to disappear. What whitethorn beryllium changing is however it taps that talent. For Indian professionals, that could mean rewriting the publication astir gathering a aboriginal successful the US.

Read the full story at BBC News →
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